Depths of memory, censored version
by Blaquediamond Princess
Summary: Riku lives a pretty normal life until he starts to have weird dreams about things that happened in a previous life. Who is that young man he keeps dreaming about? What's the link between those dreams and the present? RxS AU,Shonenai,Yaoi
1. Intro

Hello everyone, it's Blackdiamond Princess here! Yes, I know. My previous account has been deleted from this site and with it all of my stories, so I'm going to play it safe with this new account. **All lemons featured in this story will be cut out from this site, but posted on the other sites thatare hosting this story. For the links to them and my other works, please check my bio. Unfinished stories that previously got published will continue to get updated but unfortunately not on this site.**

Let's go then! You'll find this story to be different from my previous ones, but I still hope you'll enjoy it!

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* * *

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_Intro - Depths of memory_

* * *

_Do you believe in karma? You know; that word people use to say "What comes around goes around?"_

_Do you?_

_Okay, do you believe in the rebirth of souls, then? The recycling of souls until we supposedly achieve our ultimate form, free of all earthly weights and temptations. The proper term for that is re-incarnation, I think._

_Do you?_

_Well at first, I didn't either._

_What made me change my mind, you ask?_

_You'd probably call me a lunatic if I told you._

_Heh._

_Well, alright then._

_I fell in love._

_I know…_

_But with someone of the same sex._

_Makes it different, huh?_

_Heh, he really changed my life. Turned my world upside down, literally, as he did every time we met in our past lives._

_You get it; this is the part where it gets weird._

_Not just your everyday weird._

_But really fucked up weird._

_Want to join the ride?_

_You better buckle up._

* * *

**_-BDP-_**


	2. Reliving the past

_Disclaimers concerning Squaresoft and Disney are applying...

* * *

_

_1. Reliving the past_

* * *

_Hoax, fall 1254_

_The chains around his ankles made a soft clinging sound as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position on his spot on the harsh floor. _

_Soon they would come and reunite him with the only thing he had ever loved in his whole life. The only thing he had not been able to protect._

_His eyes shifted to look into the palm of his hands as he opened them, revealing with filth smudged, calloused fingers. Fingers that had felt how the life of his loved one slowly had ebbed away, as he hadn't been able to speak until it was too late, not understanding what had been happening until his hands had been holding nothing but the entity without it's subsistence…_

_All tears had left his body and now he had nothing else left to live for, nothing to share with anyone._

_Soon they'd be here and end this pain. Soon he'd see him again and they'd be together; together where they'd be free of loving each other without restrain._

_His heart had maybe been broken, his body now beaten and tired, but their love and the memories they had shared would never, ever die._

_They would survive until the end of times._

* * *

New Xillion city, spring 2004

**Monday morning, ****7.43 am**

I didn't need to open my eyes to know that I was late. Again. Shit.

Raising my right arm clumsily to shut my alarm clock up, I groaned deeply into my pillow when my hands shakily tried to hold up my weight as I tried to push myself off. I felt nauseous and feverish; courtesy of an evening out with a few of my friends to celebrate my twentieth birthday accompanied by a night filled with weird dreams. Great.

Casting a drowsy look on the red digits of my clock, I sighed, fatigued, and dragged myself out of bed.

I had a paper to hand in and the deadline was in… 15minutes. I'd never make it in time to class.

"Riku, you awake yet?"

As my feet finally supported my body, my roommate's head peeked inside of my room.

I groaned when she chuckled at me while entering.

"You were still sleeping?"

Kairi, my roommate. I've known her for as long as I can remember. We both used to live in the suburbs of the city, where most of the richer class of New Xillion City lives. We now live together in a rather fancy apartment in the middle of the city. That way we are closer to NXU, our university.

Kairi just started her first year in physiotherapy and takes it, in my humble opinion, way too serious. I knew she was a very assiduous student back in high school, but now she has just gotten worse.

I don't even know how she does it. Next to her college she gives aerobic lessons at the gym near central park and takes additional lessons at a local spa to become a masseuse there.

Not that she or me needs the money, her father is the director of a great computer company and my parents are both psychologists.

We've just finished the first semester and I barely managed to pass all of my exams while she succeeded each one of hers with flying colours. Not that my criminology studies don't interest me, but I prefer to spend my free time elsewhere than in my room studying. And next to my studies I have a job as a model for the 'CQ magazine', a magazine for homosexual men. Nothing pornographic. Don't even think of it. No man will ever see me naked. Ever.

I'm not gay. I'm not, like my parents say, sexually confused. It's a job and apparently people like the way I look. Okay, most of them are men, but the job pays good money. Let's leave it at that.

"Could you keep it down?" I pressed my right hand fingers against my forehead in hope to lessen the throbbing sensation of my head ache and took my sleeping robe that was lying on the end of my bed to cover my current state of nakedness.

Not that I was fully naked, but presenting yourself in nothing but your boxers in the morning is not quite adequate. Not if the girl staring at you isn't your girlfriend or photographer.

And especially not if the girl was Kairi.

She confessed her liking for me two years ago. It was on a hot and rainy August evening, the night before I was to go for the city to study there and she had been crying on my door step.

I didn't fully understand what had put her in a state like that, she knew that I would only be an half an hour away, but once I had seated her on my couch while trying to calm her down, she had started kissing me and telling me how much she loved me. No need to say that I was a little dumbfounded and just held her to me as she cried more. She then fell asleep right then and there.

I didn't need words to say that I didn't feel the same for her the next day as she awoke in my bed. The embarrassing silence had said enough.

I think she understood too, because she never spoke a word of it afterwards. Although all of that happened nearly two years ago, I know that she hasn't forgotten about it and that she still feels the same about me. She'll never tell me that, I understand, but her feelings reflect themselves in the little things she does for me since she moved in with me almost six months ago.

"Just wanted to tell you that I handed in your paper for you. Your professor asked me where you were, but I told him that you weren't feeling too well and that you'd probably take the day off." She said, plopping down on my desk chair while pulling the auburn hair that was in her sweaty face out of the way. She approached her bottle of water to her lips while looking at me with a small smile.

This was one of those things she did for me.

"Kairi…" I smiled thankfully approaching her and trying to figure out where to press a kiss on her damped head. She giggled and raised the back of her right hand. I kissed it and she stood up, so she was standing extremely close to me.

"I don't know what I would've got done without you. Thanks Kai." I gave her an honest smile, moving in to hug her but changing my mind in the process, seen her rather sweaty state, "You're a great friend."

Her violet eyes were looking up at me for a moment and she just smiled softly before turning around and walking back to my door, "Oh yeah, before I forget. Cloud left a message on the answering machine; I listened to it as I entered. He wants you to come in at 4 this afternoon, so they can start shooting those pictures for the summer collection of Von Aglio's clothes. He said something about being on time because there's a new photographer or something."

I scratched the back of my head with a smile; hopefully the new photographer wasn't as obnoxious as the last one. I then shivered internally, remembering a time when he had put one finger inside of my pants so to lower them to his licking. Afterwards I got to know that he did that with every newbie. It was the first and the last time he tried that with me though; the next time he tried I almost broke his finger. Guess that's why we never got on good terms with him.

"Thanks." I said. She nodded and took a step outside of my room before something came up in me. "Wait. Kai." I walked up to the door and watched her halting in her steps.

"What's up?" she asked, directing her eyes to mine in a hopeful manner.

"I was just wondering," I started, feeling like I needed to do something to repay her, "What do you say you and me pick up a movie tonight?"

She raised her eyebrows in surprise and laughed briefly, "If it had been any other night I would've got gladly accepted, but my father is taking me out to dinner tonight." She then rolled her eyes, indicating that she wasn't looking forward to it.

"Oh," I wanted to leave it at that, but maybe there was something I could do for her, "Well, can I come? It's been a while since I've seen you're father and I don't want to be on my own tonight."

She giggled a little, her eyes lighting up, "You sure?" she then looked at me suspiciously, "You could use the time to study you know."

I chuckled, "I know, but I prefer spending it with my roommate." She gave me a sceptical look and I laughed, "And her father."

"Okay then. It's at 'La Godiva'; you know that Italian restaurant on Traverse Street?"

I nodded.

"Be there at 8 sharp. My father hates people who are late." She informed and gave me a warning look.

"I'll try and be on time." I sheepishly said, giving her a small grin.

"Riku, please." She pleaded, swatting my arm playfully, "I'm very serious about this. You know how my father is."

I laughed, "Do I have to wear a tuxedo or something?"

She gave me her deadly serious look and my smile faded into nothing. I hated formal wear.

"Just wear something nice, but not too casual." She then chuckled, starting to loosen her hair tail, "I'm sure you'll find something; after all you are a model. Don't they usually have good taste?"

I mimicked her talking and gave her a scowl, "Don't real girls brush their teeth before going running in the morning?"

She gasped in a played offended way and stuck out her tongue before walking away from my door and to her bathroom, "Don't straight guys choose a job for straight people in stead of taking those for gay one's?"

I growled at her and chased after her, but received the door of her bathroom slammed in front of my face and her laugh from behind the now locked door.

"You can't hide in there for ever! You will get hungry!" I loudly said, retreating myself into my room.

Falling down on my bed, I then chuckled softly to myself. Thanks to Kairi I didn't need to go to college today and my paper was in, so I could sleep for a couple of more hours.

I wasn't thinking of the dream that I had had the night before then, due to the fact that I had had very little sleep. The headache I had woken up with before had now ebbed away and as my mind completely cleared of thoughts I soon found myself back into dreamland.

* * *

_Hoax, spring 1253_

_Ocean blue eyes opened themselves to look at him with a loving gaze, slender fingers slid the long his jaw line and up in his silver hair, pulling him closer, making their lips connect with each other._

_"Your highness…" he heard himself whisper as he felt another hand disappear in his leather pants, "We shouldn't be doing this…"_

_"But don't you want it, Ryuu?"_

_Ryuu closed his eyes at the tempting whisper in his ear and bit his lower lip, "Your highness," he whispered, taking the smaller one by his shoulders and keeping him at a safe distance from him, "As much as I want to, we cannot do this. You've been promised to princess Kilana and I've been assigned as her bodyguard. War will erupt if someone was to find out about us and King Amenon will not be forgiving."_

_"I've been promised to the princess long before I could even walk or talk." The other sighed, walking away from Ryuu's grasp and turning himself to look at the horses lined up next to each other in their individual stalls, "I've had to carry the weight of my country's salvation on my shoulders ever since I was born. No one asked me how I felt about it; no one wanted to know what I thought."_

_He then walked up to a golden steed and petted the side of his head, whispering loving praises to the animal, "I've always been alone inside, Ryuu. I've always been on my own. My father never really got close to me because he felt guilty of having imposed me this."_

_Ryuu tilted his head to the side while leaning against a wooden pole and listening._

_"My mother died ten years ago when I was around nine. The only memory I have of her is one of her crying. Every time I was around her, she was crying." He directed his sapphire blue eyes to the aqua ones of the other young man resting on him, "Crying because she knew that I would have to go some day and that if she got too close to me, she wouldn't be able to bare the pain." He then redirected his attention on the horse in front of him and rested his forehead against the bridge of it's nose, "I don't want to end like both of my parents, Ryuu. I want to at least enjoy my stay here. I am after all the future king of this country."_

_"And Kilana will be your queen, your highness." Ryuu added, the back of his head now resting against the wooden surface of the pole, his eyes closed._

_"Please, Ryuu."_

_Ryuu opened his eyes to see the young prince standing in front of him with a small smile on his lips and his big innocent eyes looking pleadingly at him._

_"Call me Soryan." _

_"But your highness…"_

_Soft lips pressed against his and silenced his protest._

_"I've never protested against what King Amenon and my father had planned for me. But that doesn't mean that I wanted to have Kilana as my bride." Soryan huskily whispered against his lips, "Why do you want to deny me the only thing I've ever asked for in my whole existence?"_

_Ryuu gulped as he watched Soryan take off his tunic. His small, tanned torso got revealed to him, every curve of his slender body accentuated by the soft golden glow emitted by the lanterns inside the horse stable. _

_"You want me and I want you." Soryan whispered, his hands sliding up Ryuu's chest and on to his neck, where they joined and pulled him closer, "Give me you. Please."_

_Not knowing how to react at this plea emitted by the smaller boy, Ryuu let his head be lowered and kissed him. A part of him was worried about what would become of them if they were to be caught doing this, and another part couldn't deny that he had secretly longed for this foreign prince ever since he had set foot inside the castle._

_His thoughts got scattered however as he felt Soryan pull both of them into a corner where a heap of hay lay and lower himself to lie on it._

_Their exchange of lust was witnessed by many pair of eyes; each one of them unable to tell it further._

_As the deed of passion reached it's peak, one living in the castle could hear the horses respond to their ardent cries._

* * *

**10.37 am**

With a gasp I suddenly woke up, bathing in my own sweat, my hair clinging to my face like a second skin. I was breathing heavily now, the images of my dream still crystal clear in my mind; it had seemed so real! I had been able to feel, even smell the hay as if it had been lying next to my bed.

I think I laid there staring at my ceiling for a good ten minutes before it dawned on me.

I had sex with a guy in my dream.

And I had a serious hard-on.

I don't think I ever got that fast out of my bed and into my shower than that day.

Was there something wrong with me? Why was I dreaming about this? Why did I keep seeing those things through this Ryuu's perspective?

After my shower I fixed lunch for myself, since Kairi had already gone to her classes for the day. I then decided to go do some groceries, since the fridge didn't contain much to eat anymore after I was done with it and because I wanted to distract my thoughts. You'd think that it's highly unusual for a model to eat that much, but my body has been granted with a fast metabolism which gives me the advantage to eat almost whatever I want without adding weight immediately. And I work out twice a week so my eating is really no problem for me or my job.

I headed out for my work an hour too early because I just couldn't stand being alone with my thoughts anymore. They were confusing me and I didn't want to feel that way: everything wasn't supposed to change over a stupid dream.

As I drove down Atlantic Road I spotted a flea market and decided to go take a look. You always found something interesting at markets like these and I still had the time.

I walked between the different stands and looked here and there; waving vendors away who offered things that didn't really interest me.

After looking around for approximately 20 minutes and finding nothing worth buying, I was on my way to my car when I got addressed by a peculiar looking old man dressed in a black cloak and standing behind a table with what looked like occult objects.

I approached him with the idea to friendly turn his offers down, when he suddenly said to me;

"I know you've been having weird dreams."

I admit, since my mind currently felt like it had gotten scrambled, that I was taken off guard, but I soon gave him a sceptic smile, "Just because I may look tired doesn't mean that I'm having…"

"You dreamt about being locked up and chained in a donjon and about a young prince who's gotten you questioning about your sexuality," he interrupted me, and I could've got sworn that I had heard a hint of a chuckle in his voice. I took a step back though; how did he know all of that? No one was supposed to know.

"Look here, that's really none of your business." I hissed, starting to get offensive.

The man raised his shoulders nonchalantly and I had already turned my back to him, starting to walk in the direction of the street when he spoke again.

"History is bound to repeat itself if you don't make an effort to accept your fate."

I stopped dead in my tracks, his words stirring something inside of me, "What?" I asked, turning around.

However, I found myself looking at a young woman with thick curly blonde hair that was now standing behind the small table.

"Where's the old man that was here a few moments ago?"

She gave me a weird look, indicating that she had no idea of what I was talking about, "Sorry?" she asked, looking at me with her large brown eyes.

"Eh, never mind." I averted my eyes from hers and directed it to the objects on the table. A small golden ring suddenly caught my attention, it's beauty looking familiar to me. There was an oval dark blue stone embedded in the metal, small, golden, slithering rays encircling it, like a burning sun.

I picked it up and studied it more closely. A faint golden glow seemed to be pulsing in the depths of the stone, but as I brought it closer to my eyes it had disappeared.

I was seriously starting to think that I was going crazy with everything that had happened today. First the dreams, the weird old man and now this. I was definitely loosing it.

It was then that I heard it.

**_"Here."_**

**_"What is it?"_**

**_"The Blue Ring of Emyra._****_ I want you to have it."_**

**_"But Soryan… I cannot accept this."_**

**_"I want you to have it, Ryuu. I want you to carry it at all times so you always think of me."_**

**_"I don't need this to think of you."_**

**_"If something was to happen to me; I want you to show it to my father."_**

**_"What are you talking about? Nothing will happen to you, I'm now the guard of the Royal couple, and I won't let anything happen to you."_**

**_"Oh, Ryuu."_**

**_"Don't talk like that anymore, alright?"_**

**_"I'm not asking you as your lover, Ryuu, but as your prince. Show this ring to my father if anything was to happen to me. Please."_**

It was as if everything around me had been standing still and now slowly started to move again and all sound began to return.

I felt disoriented and bend over, resting my hands on the table before me. My breathing was heavy and I could feel drops of sweat rolling down my right temple.

Where did that come from?

"Huh, what?"

"That's 10 dollars, sir."

My eyes now focused on the round face of the girl in front of me and then to the circular ornament still in my hand. I opened my fist reluctantly and looked at it cautiously as if it was going to blow up in my face at any moment and now definitely saw the dark stone emit a golden glow.

**_"History is bound to repeat itself if you don't make an effort to accept your fate."_**

My head was pounding and I didn't understand it all. I wasn't even sure if I even wanted to understand it, but I ended up buying the ring after all. I don't even know why.

* * *

_To be continued..._

**_-BDP-_**


	3. A new start

* * *

2. A new start

* * *

New XillionCity, spring 2004

**Monday afternoon, ****3.53 pm**

I parked my car on a vacant spot in the underground parking lot of the CQ- Magazine building. My head ache had increased with vigour since I had left the flea market and I was pondering on the idea of asking Cloud for a day off. He would have to do it without me today, I just felt like shit. I sighed and leant over my steering wheel, my forehead rubbing against the knuckles of my fingers and my eyes closed.

As far as I could remember, I had never been really sick, even as a kid I was one of the few ones that rarely injured itself. The only doctors that I regularly saw were my dentist and my parents.

I chuckled at the thought of my parents if they were to find out what I had been dreaming about. My mother would probably say something like; "Dreams are the reflection of what we would like to achieve in real life, but, due to some reason, we can't or won't achieve those goals. So you dreaming about a homosexual intercourse could mean that you have hidden homosexual desires. Riku, honey, do you think there's something you would like to tell your father and me?"

And my father would want to try and rationalise it all and say; "No Mishiko, I think it has to do with the environment he's in. It has to do with the job he has. Environment plays a big role when influencing a person's personality…"

Blablabla… and then they'd end up arguing about it like they always did. God, that's one of the reasons why I almost never told them anything personal or why I almost never stayed home. Don't think that I don't love my parents though, I do; they're great. But I'm telling you, when both your parents are psychologists like mine they make your entire life their study.

I got out of the car finally, closing the door and enabling the alarm system before heading towards the elevator three-hundred meters further.

Another guy stepped into the large lift with me. He was dressed entirely in black; from his black Sketchers to his black three-quarter pants and black sleeveless shirt. A black business bag hung on his left shoulder and around his neck laid a silver necklace without pendant. On the wrist that was on his side that I could see, his right one, he wore a silver wrist chain with little crowns holding the links together. His hair was one total mess, the brown locks of his hair looking like they'd never seen a decent comb in their live. But in a way it suited him; the hairstyle complementing his tanned face and his childish features. The only thing that broke the childlike looks of his face was the small white diamond embedded in his right nostril.

I had never seen this guy before and for some reason he was stirring my curiosity.

My examination came to an end though when the elevator stopped on the ground floor. We both stepped out and went into different directions; I went straight for the elevators leading to the office quarters and he stopped at the reception desk.

I stepped inside the first elevator that came and pushed in the button for the 21st floor, leant against the back wall of the small room and waited for the metallic doors to close themselves.

"Hold the doors!"

I immediately leapt into action and pushed in the 'opening doors'- button. It was the least thing I could do; we all know how it feels to the elevator you're supposed to have leave right in front of your nose.

To my surprise, and slight enjoyment, that same guy stepped inside the lift. He gave me a thankful smile and went to lean against the back wall.

"Thanks," he breathed, taking his bag off his shoulder and putting it on the floor between his legs. He then ran a hand through his unruly mass of hair and then put his hands on his hips to get his breath to even and checked his watch nervously. He really reminded me of a little boy that was too late for class and who feared his teacher's wrath. In a way it was cute, I think.

"No problem," I smiled and watched the doors slide closed. "Where do you have to be?" I then asked, since I was the closest to the buttons.

"21st floor. Thanks," he spoke, standing up straight.

"I need to be there too," I said, lowering my hand again and lifting my shoulders while giving him a small smile. He nodded and smiled back. And that's when I realised something strange.

I had seen those eyes before or at least they reminded me of something… the deepest kind of blue and yet so light at the same time. They were the kind that let all emotion through, the kind that kept you entranced by their beauty.

Without a doubt the most gorgeous ones I had ever seen. They reminded me of… of…

I frowned and reached into the back pocket of my jeans and held up the blue ring that I had bought earlier that day and stared at it.

His eyes had the same colour as the stone embedded in the ring.

"So you're a model here?"

I put the ring back in the pocket and looked up at his friendly face.

"Yeah," I answered, shifting my eyes up to the blue digits indicating the passing floors. "Part-time."

4… 5… 6…

"Ah," he understandingly said, nodding slightly, "I'll be working here part-time too, at least, if I'm not late…"

"At what time were you supposed to be there?" I then amusedly asked, still looking at the changing digits.

"I don't know. I mean, I think it was at 4, but I'm really not sure," He nervously spoke and then sighed, "I knew I should've got written it down…"

I suppressed a chuckle and looked at his worried face. There was really something about him that just endeared him to me. I couldn't really explain it back then, or maybe I just didn't want to admit that my mind was still too scrambled, but I really felt myself attracted to him. Not in the way you all think, but just…

"Don't worry," I soothingly spoke to him, "You're here for a job interview, right?"

He silently nodded, "Yeah, my uncle runs this place and I don't really want to give him a bad impression of me."

"Oh," I spoke in realisation, "You're Cloud's nephew?"

He nodded again and slightly smiled at me.

"I always thought he was a single child," I commented.

"Heh, no," He chuckled, "He's my mother's younger brother."

"Alright, like that," I nodded, having learned something new about my blonde friend.

8… 9… 10…

"Don't worry, you'll get the job," I assured him, assuming that he was here for a modelling position, though I remember thinking to myself that he was a little on the skinny side and a tad too short for the job. "But I must warn you though," I said with a smile, "Unless you like perverted, older men putting fingers in your pants, you'll want to take your distances from the photographer, Dom."

The brunette chuckled softly at that, "Okay, thanks." He then cocked his head to the side and gave me a confused look, "Can I assume that you're not gay then?"

I chuckled briefly and shook my head, "Disappointed?"

He pursed his lips in a playful manner and rolled his eyes innocently to the ceiling, "I'm sure I'm not the first one."

I laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment?"

Even though he looked quite innocent, that remark of him quickly made me think otherwise.

12… 13… 14…

"My name's Riku by the way," I held out my hand. "If we're going to be colleagues…"

"Sora," he spoke and took my outstretched hand, "I'm not here for a modelling position, though."

I didn't catch the last thing he had said, for I was preoccupied by the way his hand felt against mine. It was like… déjà vu or something… his hand felt so familiar and I know it's weird to feel that way about a simple handshake, but I just did.

He released my hand and I automatically let go too, the feeling I had had now gone.

"Cloud gave me a part-time job as assistant-photographer," Sora said as we approached the 19th floor.

"Assistant-photographer?" I echoed, shaken out of my brief moment of daze. Ah, alright, so he wasn't a model.

"Yeah, I'm a student in art at NXU and photography is one of my majors. I just got transferred today," he meekly said with a small smile.

"Really? Well that might mean that we'll see each other again somewhere else than in the studios, because I'm a student there too."

"I'd like that," he admitted, bending over and picking up his bag from the floor, to put it on his shoulder again as the lift came to a stop. "To see you again, I mean."

I smiled amenably, "Well, I don't think we'll be parting just jet; I'm on my way to Cloud too."

His eyes smiled at me and he nodded, stepping out of the elevator as the doors slid open, "Then I guess I'm either before you or behind you."

I unwillingly snickered at that and shook my head at the ambiguous thoughts that wanted to enter my mind. I know it was childish, but I just couldn't help it at the time.

"You mean 'after' me." I corrected him as we both walked up to Cloud's reception desk.

He gave me an impish smile before shrugging, "Suit yourself, it's whatever you like."

Okay, he definitely wasn't innocent. After all, who is, wanting to work in a place like this?

I cleared my throat and could feel my cheeks redden a little. I wouldn't admit that he was affecting me in a rather pleasant way. I just wouldn't. I didn't even know him.

"I didn't really have an appointment with him," I then said, acting as if nothing happened, "He just told me to come to work at 4, but I just came up here to ask him to grant me the day off."

Sora raised his eyebrows; "But you don't really look sick to me."

"I'm just feeling little tired, that's all. I've been having sleepless nights lately." I just said; there was no need to step into the details.

"I know how you feel, ever since I moved away from my home 2 days ago, I've had trouble sleeping too."

I nodded and we both turned around to look at the secretary, who just hung up the phone.

"Hey, Riku. How have you been? It's been a long time since I've seen you here," The girl cheerfully greeted me.

"Hi, Lenne, I just need to talk to Cloud for a few minutes, is he in?"

"Yeah, he's was searching for you," She then turned her head to Sora, "And you must be his nephew, Sora, right?"

Sora nodded and gave her a nervous smile, "Am I late?"

"He's waiting for the both of you inside," Lenne then shook her head reassuringly, picking up her phone again.

Sora gave me a relieved smile and wiggled his eyebrows before turning his head back to the brunette behind her desk. I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

--------------------------------------------

"I'll just get straight to the point with this. The reason why I'm glad you came up here Riku is because there's something I'd like to request from you, and I hope that Sora will agree with me."

Cloud was standing in front of both Sora and me, leaning against his desk behind him while we were sitting in separate black leathery easy chairs.

I looked up at him expectantly, one eyebrow raised and my right elbow leaning on one of the arms of the chair.

"Can Sora stay at your place for a while?" he asked, the palms of his hands held together and the tip of his index fingers pressed against his pursed lips as in a silent plea.

Sora emitted a small sound near a choked gasp and then turned his head to face me with an expectant look on his features.

No need to say that I felt bombarded with this question and I couldn't help but blink at the blonde before gazing into Sora's excited face.

"I… Well, I don't know, Cloud; it's kind of sudden…" I slowly began, shifting in my seat and not wanting to look at Sora. "I mean, you do know that there's Kairi too…"

The prospective of having Sora living with me kind of excited me, but I needed to talk to Kairi first. She, after all, didn't know who Sora was. And I, come to think of it, didn't either...

Cloud shifted his eyes to Sora and smiled, "I know, but I thought that since he was going to go to NXU, he would be better living with people of his age who go to the same university as he does."

"But it's okay if you don't want to," Sora added, holding his hands defensively against his chest. "I mean, I wouldn't want to intrude into you and your girlfriend's space."

I chuckled briefly at that and bent my head to hold it in my hand, "She's not my girlfriend."

I swear I could almost feel his contentment after I had said that.

"On top of that," Cloud continued diplomatically, "I can be sure that you won't take advantage of him, because you're not gay, so I trust you."

"Hey, why do you make it sound like I can't defend myself!" Sora objected, but smiling nonetheless. I was starting to think that if there was anyone who was going to need to defend himself, it was going to be me. From him.

I laughed despite the fact that I didn't really feel like being cheerful at that moment, my head started to hurt again. "I can't decide on my own on this. I need to talk to Kairi first."

"I totally understand that," the blonde told me, nodding and closing his eyes in emphasis, "But if it only depended on you, would you do it?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my head, "Why can't he stay at your place again?"

"Leon didn't want it and Sora kind of feels intimidated by him." Cloud chuckled at a memory.

"Does not!" The brunette protested, "I just don't really like him, that's all."

I chuckled with him, remembering my first encounter with Cloud's boyfriend. It was after I had almost broken the photographer's finger. The man had gone and complained about it to Leon, who is co-owner of the magazine. Leon had approached me after my first shoot, his stormy grey eyes had been looking like he had been about to blow me to smithereens with his mere gaze. I had really thought he was going to fire me on the spot, but he had smiled at me and congratulated me on my audacious move and gave me a one year membership to a luxurious gym. You just never knew how the man could react at times, but that's what made his personality and I don't think anyone would've liked him to be different. He's become, just like Cloud, one of my closest friends.

"I can understand that," I chuckled, and pointed with my thumb to Sora, "But he'll learn to put up with him, like you do."

Sora gasped in dismay at that and gave me a hurt look, which I returned with an amused one.

Cloud shook his head, "I really would like it if you talked to Kairi about this. It'll only be temporarily, just until he finds his own place."

I threw my head back in annoyance and defeat, but mostly in annoyance, "Alright, alright! I'll see what I can do."

"Yes!" Sora exclaimed silently to himself and I laughed again. You'd almost think that he was a ten year old that had been granted unlimited access to the cookie jar. Only the cookie jar had my name on it.

"I'll make it up to you, Riku." Cloud then said, walking towards his seat behind his desk and picking up his phone.

"Well I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot more than expected, huh?" Sora whispered to me, smiling. I gave him a smile back, thinking that this day had just become the strangest one ever. Maybe I really was losing my ability to think rationally.

"Did you have any work for me today, Cloud?" I asked, averting my gaze to him. I still needed to ask him for a day off.

The owner shook his head as he put the horn back down, "No, not really I only called you here today to meet Sora actually. But I'll expect you on Wednesday and on until Sunday. I've re-scheduled the shoots for the Von Aglio's summer collection, so you have today and tomorrow free."

I sighed thankfully and nodded in appreciation, "That's good, thanks."

"Alright," he stood up again, "I'll have Lenne call you for your schedule of this week."

I nodded again and stood up pointing at Sora, "I take him with me now, or what?"

Cloud chuckled, "Yeah, if it isn't too much to ask. Just show him around a little if you want. Leon will pass by tomorrow at your place to bring the rest of his belongings."

"Come on then," I said to Sora, stepping up to the door.

"Riku, wait."

I turned around and saw Sora holding the blue ring in between his fingers. Reflexively I reached for my back pocket to find it empty.

"Where did you find this?" He asked me and I froze. I was going to ask him that question. He uttered the question not with that look of admiration you get when you find something beautiful and want to know where it's from, but with a look of sheer confusion and disbelieve that you get when you've been looking for something and find it back in the most unusual of places.

His sapphire blue eyes then directed themselves at me and my breath hitched in my throat.

I knew that my mind had made the link before without me realising, but now it all fell in place or at least that part did.

Those eyes… I now remembered where I had seen them before and I had a hard time believing it. Dreams were not supposed to have such an impact on every day life, dreams were not true…

The ring in between his fingers suddenly emitted a faint glow and I gasped, realisation striking me full force.

"Riku!"

No! I was going crazy! It couldn't be… what was wrong with me?

Soryan?

* * *

_Hoax, spring/ summer 1253_

_His footsteps resounded in the abandoned halls of the prince's quarters, the two guards present to guard the entrance to the royal chambers watching him as he approached them._

_"Captain Ryuu," They both greeted him, saluting him._

_"At ease, soldier," He responded, watching them take in their initial positions, "Is the prince in his quarters?"_

_"Yes," One of them answered, "He came in two hours ago, said he needed to rest."_

_Ryuu nodded, "Good, he has a long day ahead of him tomorrow."_

_"Sir," The other soldier spoke with a slightly worried undertone._

_"What is it?"_

_"Well, I know that is in no view my business to ask you this, but do you think prince Soryan loves princess Kilana?"_

_Ryuu shook his head; "I do believe that that is indeed none of your business; that is a matter for his majesty the prince and his wife to be."_

_The guard cleared his throat and nodded, "Yes sir, I apologise sir."_

_Ryuu put a hand on the other man's right shoulder and smiled, "I know you're worried for our beloved princess, we all are, but I'm sure that he'll make her happy." _

_The other man nodded and Ryuu let go of him._

_"He is to be our feature king and we owe him respect and our loyalty," the captain spoke, looking at the two soldiers. _

_"Yessir!"__ They both exclaimed._

_"I will go speak with his majesty before he is asleep," Ryuu then said, walking up to the closed doors they were guarding. Both of the guards opened the large wooden doors and stepped aside._

_He entered and turned around to watch the doors close again before he crossed the study and reached the next doors leading to Soryan's bedroom._

_--------------------------------------------_

_"Ryuu!"_

_The young prince exclaimed as he saw his lover step inside his room. He stood up from his bed and walked up to him, letting his richly embroidered, red velvet night robe fall on the floor behind him._

_"I thought you wouldn't come!" he then whispered against Ryuu's chest as he was taken into a passionate embrace._

_"I almost didn't; I've spent most of my evening reassuring the princess about tomorrow," Ryuu whispered back, kissing the crown of the brunette's head._

_"My heart beats with silent doubt for tomorrow too," Soryan admitted, tightening his hold on the other. "I feel like I'll never fall asleep; my head is too crowded with insecure thoughts."_

_Ryuu ran a hand through his shoulder-length chocolate locks and kissed his forehead, "Remember our last night together?" He then asked him with a small smile on his face._

_"How could I forget; I still find myself daydreaming about it when no one is watching…"_

_Ryuu chuckled softly, "We have to be careful…you are to be a wedded man starting tomorrow."_

_Soryan nodded and ran a finger the long Ryuu's opening in his tunic, "I know, but you can't blame me for being marvelled by your loving skills…"_

_"I don't have much time tonight…" The blonde whispered, closing his eyes at the feeling of soft lips sliding the long his jawbone, "And you need to sleep…"_

_"But I already told you; I can't find sleep…" Soryan throatily whispered, now starting to unbuckle the heavy sword belt Ryuu was wearing on his hips, "Please help me?"_

_Ryuu bit his lower lip at that and stopped his lover's exploring hands before they started doing some very compromising things and instead took him in his arms and carried him over to the grand and luxurious bed._

**_(A/N: The lemon has been cut out from this chapter. Those of you who want to read it, check my bio for the link to the uncensored version)_**

_"Please stay a little longer…" Soryan whispered, sliding one hand over Ryuu's left hip, opening his eyes leisurely to stare into beautiful turquoise orbs._

_Scooting a little closer, the blonde took his lover's left hand in his and softly kissed it's fingertips, "You know that I can't…"_

_Soryan sighed in discontent and closed his eyes, "Will things change once I am Kilana's husband?"_

_Ryuu brushed a strand of Soryan's hair behind his right ear, "You will officially be the heir to Hoax' throne…"_

_"No," The younger one looked up at him, "I meant between us…"_

_The soldier shifted his eyes from his lover's, not responding. The answer to that question was difficult and rather painful. No matter how much he'd want to be with Soryan, he'd be forced to take more distance from him…_

_"Ryuu…?" Soryan shakily whispered, his eyebrows knitting together in worry._

_"It's late, my prince," Ryuu suddenly whispered, moving himself to sit up on the edge of the bed. "And you have an important day ahead of you." No matter how much he loved him, they'd never be together…_

_"Don't go like this…" The brunette pleaded, sitting up on his bed and arranging his dress. "Ryuu."_

_And if someone was to find out about their secret relationship, Soryan would be the one to suffer the major consequences and they would extent themselves to his homeland and put the peace treaty in jeopardy._

_As a mere captain of the royal guard, he'd probably be sentenced with death, since his action would be seen as treason of trust._

_Still, his own fate didn't matter in all of this; it was Soryan who was of importance._

_Was it really worth it to endanger his life like this?_

_"Goodnight, my prince. Sleep well," With a last bow Ryuu then turned and walked towards the doors of the large bedroom. Nothing was worth putting such a great danger upon his Soryan._

_"No!" Soryan stepped out of his bed and ran up to him, throwing his arms around his waist to stop him from exiting the room. "Don't you love me?" He then tearfully whispered, pressing himself against the taller one's back._

_Love.__ That word again. It made everything so much more complicated, but yes, he loved him, he loved him so much it hurt every time he'd see him sitting on the royal table at dinner. Or whenever he was around the princess. Every time, it would hurt._

_"I…" He almost choked out, fighting the lump in his throat. His decision was now clear in his mind and his heart was on the verge to break, but it needed to be done… for Soryan's sake and for the sake of the kingdom. "I cannot keep putting you in danger like this, my prince… I ask of you to forget about me..."_

_Soryan's breath hitched in his throat and he took a step back, his face set on utter disbelieve and his eyes filling up with fresh tears. _

_Never had he felt something like this for anyone, never had he imagined feeling so much for one person._

_Never had he thought that it could hurt so much._

_"N-no…" he weakly whispered, one lonely tear rolling down his right cheek._

_"Forgive me…" Ryuu whispered, closing his eyes, fighting his own tears._

_Shaking his head in denial and breathing in short, gasped breaths, the young prince then returned to his bed and laid himself down on his covers, staring at the ceiling. "Get out." He softly whimpered, letting another tear escape from his now pained eyes._

_Without another word or hesitation Ryuu opened the doors and left, leaving the hurt young man in his immense, cold room.

* * *

_

**_Thank you for reading and please review? I need feedback to know if it's good or not…_**

_To be continued…_

**_Diamant Noir_**


	4. Significant other

_

* * *

_

3. Significant other

* * *

_Hoax, spring/summer 1253_

_The church bells resonated throughout the whole country, celebrating the union between Hoax and Emyra through the marriage of their heirs._

_It was a bright, warm morning in late May, the red royal carpet had been rolled out on the stairs of the cathedral, many white rose petals fell from the sky, welcoming the to be wedded couple._

_Dressed in a stunning white robe with a long, transparent veil covering her features and a tail decorated with real pearly white flowers, the princess stepped out of her carriage in front of the stone steps and immediately got acclaimed by the massive crowd behind her on the plaza and behind the many guards the long the stairs towards the entrance of the church. Her signature, long auburn, curly hair laid freely behind her for once, replacing the usual braided tail, and had small, white roses in it._

_"We love you, princess Kilana!"_

_"Long live the princess!"_

_"God bless you, princess!"_

_A reserved smile formed itself on her lips behind the veil and she waved to her subjects, before her two guards came to stand next to her to escort her up the stairs._

_"You look great, princess…"_

_"Thank you, Ryuu… I'm so nervous," She whispered back towards the blonde standing right from her, while she threw kisses to the crowd and waved some more._

_"Courage, Kilana," Ryuu whispered back, taking her right hand and stepping on the first step. "He's waiting for you."_

_Kilana nodded, taking a deep breath and starting her ascent towards the opened doors of the cathedral. This was no time for freaking out; she had been dreading for this day to come ever since she was little and ever since she knew that she would have to marry a man that she didn't even know. Now the day was here and strangely, instead of the knots in her stomach, she felt butterflies flying within her… _

_In the brief two months that she had gotten to talk to Soryan, she had come to realise that the grumpy old man she always pictured him to be, actually was quite the opposite of what she had been expecting…He made her feel quite the opposite of what she had expected to feel for him…_

_Maybe it was his level of intellect that beguiled her to him so much, or the way he could handle the sword so well or just the way he was so different from the men she knew… Or the way he just treated her like a woman and knew what it felt like to be of royalty; possessing everything, but owning nothing at the same time…_

_Her entire life she had been surrounded by men, seen her father, the king, had rather wanted a true heir to his throne than a girl as his first and only child. Only child, because queen Aelitha died when she gave birth to her daughter, and because the king never remarried after her._

_So she got raised as a boy, learning how to handle the sword, bow, spear and ride the horse like a man. She learnt how to read and write, but also learnt a few womanly things, like broidery and playing the harp. But the princess had to admit that she found sword fighting or practising with her bow more exciting than learning how to cook._

_When she was about 8, she once ran away from the castle, wanting to escape a broidery lesson and bumped into a young boy in the streets. That boy had been Ryuu, son of Amenon's personal bodyguard. Upon recognising her, he immediately reported her to the castle and of course got her in a lot of trouble._

_But it was from that day on that they became inseparable, doing most of the boy stuff together, Ryuu always making sure that the princess never got hurt and Kilana making sure that she escaped her broidery lessons at least once a week. _

_Around her 12th year, Riku got assigned to her as her own personal guard. He was only 14 at the time, but had proven himself to be trustworthy in many ways. _

_He has been her only true friend throughout the years that she has known him… and her first crush…_

_And today he was standing beside her; her first love escorting her to the man she learnt to love in only two months. She looked at him from beneath her veil and sighed softly. Even though she knew that he didn't love her romantically, she just wished that he'd even kiss her once before she was to become a married woman…_

_Entering the chilly, enormous space inside the cathedral, she could feel her breath hitch in her throat at all the faces that turned to look at her in the entrance. The organ started to play it's marital tune and she advanced in deliberate steps on the red carpet in the middle of the two rectangles of guests standing in front of their seats and whispering praises to her beauty. _

_Raising her head to look ahead of her, she then saw him standing in front of the altar, waiting for her with his never dying, reassuring smile._

_"Oh my god… this is it…" Kilana whispered, slightly squeezing Ryuu's hand resting under hers. "I'm so scared…" she then nervously giggled._

_"It's going to be alright," Ryuu soothingly whispered as they neared the altar. "Be strong, Kilana…" He then let go of her and handed her over to her father who took over from there and walked with her over the remaining five meters._

_"Father…"_

_"You look stunning, my daughter…" He whispered, smiling at her and then kissing her on her forehead as they stood next to Soryan and the priest, "I am proud of you."_

_Finally they stood in front of each other, both nervous, but excited._

_Soryan slightly bowed his head to his wife to be and she made a courtesy to her future king. He then gently took her left hand in his right one and walked her over to the steps leading to the altar, where two kneeling chairs were standing._

_"Pardon me if my hand is shaking in yours, my prince… but my heart is beating so violently inside my chest and I cannot control it…" The princess whispered as they both kneeled down in front of the priest._

_"Just between you and me, princess, I think that it is my hand shaking beneath yours and not the other way around…" Soryan whispered, looking at her with a smile._

_A soft chuckle escaped her and she felt reassured, like she always felt when he was around. It was a good thing to know that he was as nervous as she was or maybe even more._

_"Shall we start your highness?" The priest asked softly, standing before them with his bible in his hands._

_"Ready?" Soryan then asked, giving her an encouraging look and lightly squeezing their hands together._

_"Yes," She whispered back, giving a light squeeze back._

_"Please precede, father," The prince whispered, turning his face towards the priest and nodding._

_"Dearly beloveds; we are gathered here today…"_

_------------------------------------_

_As the now royal couple shared their first kiss, an eruption of acclamations had place in the grant cathedral, the sound of rejoicing spreading itself outside to the crowd that was waiting outside._

_The newly wedded couple smiled at each other before turning and smiling at the crowd inside the church. _

_Soryan suddenly grabbed his wife's hand and she nodded as he gave her a questioning look._

_As if they had planned it all along, they both ran down the small way in between the seats as a rain of white rose petals fell down on their heads._

_All members of the Emyran and Hoaxian court all let a surprised gasp before bursting out in laughter at the delightful expression of young and carefree love._

_The church slowly started to empty, everyone still clapping after the new heirs of the recently joined kingdoms of Hoax and Emyra._

_Ryuu was one of the last ones to exit the establishment, staying behind as he stared at the large cross of the crucified Christ hanging above the altar. _

_"I've let him go and thought that it would make me feel better, but seeing him with the princess… he was so happy…But it's for the best that I did what I did..." He then lowered his head and prayed silently in himself, "What I feel for him is wrong and I ask of you to give me the strength to forget these sentiments of lust I have…"_

_The tapping of feet suddenly resounded in the abandoned church and Ryuu slowly turned around to find an old monk standing behind him, leaning on a walking stick. A pilgrim…?_

_"Can I help you?" The young blonde kindly offered, walking over to the fragile looking old man with his brown cape and rosary hanging around his waist._

_"It's seems like you are the one who needs the help, child." The old man chuckled, shuffling passed him._

_"I beg your pardon, father?" Ryuu whispered, taken aback._

_"Oh, no, I'm no priest. Nor a monk either..." The man said, stopping in front of the grant crucifix, "Beautiful piece of craftsmanship…"_

_Ryuu frowned, folding his arms on his chest, "Will you tell me then who you are?"_

_"No need to be so prickled, soldier…" He turned around to face Ryuu again and this time took off his hood, revealing the face of indeed an old man, but with stunning, youthful blue eyes. "You're in for quite some trouble… ah yes, yes…I can see it…"_

_Now unfolding his arms and resting his hands on his hips in annoyance, Ryuu chuckled, "Look old man, no one is supposed to be here anymore, so whoever you are looking for, you will have to come back tomorrow when the cathedral is open again."_

_"Denying that you love someone won't make the feeling go away…" The old man said, grinning with his crooked, yellow teeth. "Especially not if that person is your significant other." He shook his head, "Definitely not..."_

_"What are you talking about!" Ryuu exasperatedly said, rolling his eyes._

_"I think you know very well of what I am talking about, Ryuu, son of Ryun," He calmly said, giving him an honest look. "Or more specific of someone…"_

_"How do you…?" The blonde frowned and took a step back in astonishment, "W-who are…?"_

_"Accept your fate, or it will be doomed to repeat itself into eternity…"_

* * *

New XillionCity, spring 2004

**Monday evening, ****9.26 pm**

My eyes flew open and I gasped, sitting up so fast I didn't see the person looming just above me. If my headache had disappeared before I came in collision with a skull that was made out of stone, then it sure came back full force after that.

I literally saw stars.

"Ouch!" I gasped in pain and held on to my poor forehead.

"Didn't you see I was there!"

I recognised that voice and cracked one eye open carefully to make sure that I was not still dreaming. Soryan. No, Sora… Soryan… whatever, I was officially crazy anyway. Where was I?

"Riku! You could at least say that you're sorry!" He then whined, covering his own forehead with a hand. Had I been silent for that long?

"What! You're the one who was standing just above me! How was I supposed to know you'd be gaping at me while I was unconscious!" I immediately protested, the throbbing pain in my head miraculously ebbing away. "What's your skull made of anyways, steel?" I groaned and then looked at my surroundings; I was on the couch in front of the TV in my apartment. "How did I get here? What happened?" Well, I knew what happened; I made a trip to lala-land again, which meant I either got unconscious or either fell asleep right there in Cloud's office. Somehow the latter sounded weirder than the other. When did I become a narcoleptic?

I gazed at the wall just above the TV and read 9.29 pm. There was this nagging feeling I felt inside of myself, but I quickly dismissed it, there were too many feelings flooding through me at that moment and I really didn't need a new one to add up to the mess that I already was.

"We took you to the nearest hospital after you fainted in Cloud's office," Sora explained, now sitting next to me on the couch and giving me a worried look. "They diagnosed you with a severe lack of sleep and told us that your body probably fainted because you've been overdoing it. We brought you back home, since it was okay with the doctor."

I felt like laughing and I didn't even know why, "So, I guess they advice me to get some sleep, right?" I smirked, pushing the blanket off of my body and moving myself to stand.

Sora semi-nodded, "You don't agree with them? It is true that you look tired, Riku."

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Why should I not agree with them? They're the ones who know what's wrong with me, right? Who am I to tell them wrong?" I felt like yelling suddenly, of course they had it all wrong! Two days ago I was fine! Perfectly fine! How can someone have a severe lack of sleep by sleeping badly during one night! I've been exhausting my body! With what, dreaming?

"Riku," Sora followed me into the kitchen as I went in to make myself some coffee, "I do believe there's something else here than just a sleeping disorder."

I chuckled at that, nodding my head, "Yeah, I'm crazy… That's what it is…"

"No," He whispered, now standing next to me and looking at me with a hesitant expression on his face. "I've been sleeping badly too for the last two nights…"

I put the coffee machine on and then turned to look at him silently, I knew he was telling me something rather personal at the moment, but I just really, really couldn't give a damn right now. "Does this have a point?" I needed someone to give me clear explanations, not some shit about what other people were going through!

I was being selfish and I knew it. It felt bad, made me feel worse, especially when he gave me a hurt look before averting his eyes from mine sadly.

God I could slap myself… he was only trying to help. "No, I'm sorry, continue…"

"Nah, it's okay," Sora then whispered, shrugging as he leant with his back against the working table, "I mean, you're tired and probably confused with everything that has happened and here I am starting to talk about my shit…" he shook his head and walked over to the small, round kitchen table to sit at it.

The kid sure knew how to make me feel real bad… I only met him today, but he took care of me while I was unconscious. Why did I have to be so vulgar to him?

I sighed in annoyance at my stupid mind and scratched the back of my head, trying to find something to say, when the phone back in the living room rang.

"Hello?"

_"Riku?__ What are you doing up, you should be sleeping."_

I rolled my eyes and laughed, "Are you my mommy now? I just woke up. Where are you?"

_"At the restaurant."_

"Restaurant?" I frowned before realising what she meant, "Oh! Restaurant!"

That had been that nagging feeling earlier…

_"Yup darling, but you couldn't have got helped it, so it's okay."_

"I'll make it up to you?" I said in a small voice, wincing.

_"First make it back on your feet and then we'll see."_

"That's lame, Kai! You're talking to a sick man here!"

_"Yeah, yeah, but you're not dying so I can talk to you anyway I want."_

I grunted, "Whatever, did you call to tell me you're, by any chance, not coming home? Ever?"

_"What, and leave you with that gorgeous Sora all on your own? You wish!"_

I snickered, "He's gay, Kai."

_"That's just why, I don't want to miss out on the action!"_

"Ack!" I held the horn at a safe distance from my ear, looking at it with a mix of disgust and strange amusement. When I was sure her hysterical fit of laughter had ended, I put the horn back against my right ear, "So when will you get home?"

_"I might sleep over at my parent's place; my dad is taking me to the fair later, you know to try and bond with me more…"_

I chuckled; I knew she really didn't want to go, "Well, I guess I will have to ask Sora to massage me tonight. Do you still keep that vanilla scented massaging oil in the drawer next to your bed?"

_"How do you…?"_

"Thank you, Kai, have fun. Bye bye." I smirked, hung up, and turned myself around to the kitchen to see Sora coming out of it with two mugs of coffee in his hands. He gave me a brief smile as he walked towards the dinner table and it was then that I found out that next to the beauty and expressiveness of his large, deep blue eyes and the childlike features of his face, he was beautiful. Yes I said it; I was thinking at how beautiful Sora was at that moment. I think that I had already given up believing in the way my world used to go around and had started to admit to myself that this blue eyed guy had awakened something in me and that I was not fighting it.

"Was that Kairi?" he asked me and I simply nodded, watching him sitting at the table and putting one of the mugs a seat next to him. "When is she coming home?"

I shrugged and took a seat next to him on the table, pulling my mug of coffee to me, "I don't know," The silence that followed felt awkward to me, I felt uneasy and I could sense that he felt so too. I know I had already apologised earlier, but I wanted him to be sure that I was being sincere, which is strange since I've only known him for approximately 6 hours. "I think she thought that I was in good hands."

His eyes lit up at that and he looked up at me in mild surprise.

I chuckled and smiled at him before taking a sip of my coffee, "And I feel the same way too," I saw him frown in confusion and I shifted my eyes to the black surface of my coffee, another smile tugging at the corners of my lips at the reaction, "You stayed with me, even though you didn't even know me. You could've got easily gone back to Cloud or anywhere else you liked, but you decided to stay with me when Kairi left for her appointment and I really appreciate that. It wasn't really needed, but I still appreciate. It's not everyday that you meet someone who inspires you trust."

He was absolutely glowing by now and if I was not mistaking, slightly blushing. I don't know, but I think that is was from then on that I just loved to see him smile. He had such a beautiful smile…

"I'm glad you feel that way," Sora then whispered with a shy expression, his eyes directed to his hands resting on the table, "And I can admit that I feel the same way about you too."

I grinned, "Odd, isn't it?"

"What is?" He questioned, looking up at me curiously.

Our eyes locked and I just let myself dragged into his ocean blue ones for a moment before smiling at his now very reddened face, "That we trust each other like that already," I continued, sipping from my coffee and closing my eyes.

"Maybe," He hesitantly started, now looking at his hands encircling his mug, "Maybe it was meant to be…?"

I chuckled and put my drink down, "You believe in that sort of stuff?"

Sora briefly looked up at me and then timidly chuckled, looking back at his hands on the table, "Don't you?"

I didn't need to think the answer over twice, "Eh, no?"

He sat back in his chair with his warm cup and chuckled again, closing his eyes, "I believe in it… because it is everywhere, I'm sure you've felt it."

I raised a sceptic eyebrow and just looked at him slightly worried, "Right, first off; what is everywhere and second; what am I supposed to have felt?"

"Fate," He whispered to me and opened his eyes.

**_"Accept your fate, or it will be doomed to repeat itself into eternity…"_**

Those words suddenly echoed inside of my mind and I frowned. What? Not again!

"I've had these dreams…" Sora continued, taking my frown as a silent query for an explanation, and looking ahead of him,"I know it will sound strange to you and you maybe won't believe it, but I dreamt about meeting you almost two years ago…"

If this had been a normal situation and I had been functioning correctly, I probably would have laughed at him and told him that he was crazy or something like that, but this wasn't a normal situation and I wasn't functioning correctly.

"Each time I dreamt about you, you were different in a way…You had a different name, or you had another hair colour, another stature…" he softly whispered, the tone of his voice a little dreamy as he kept staring at nothing in particular, "It's only been lately that I've been dreaming about the same you every night…"

I kept staring at him without saying anything. I felt like a weight was being lifted off my shoulders and something clicked inside of me.

"You think I'm crazy, right?" He then suddenly whispered, chuckling and bending his head, "You must think that I—"

"I've been dreaming about you too," I interrupted him quietly, still staring at him. I wasn't functioning correctly…

He gasped and put his cup back on the table, sitting up, "You're not just saying that because you want to make me look—"

"No," I shook my head, smiling at him. In a sudden impulse I took his left hand in mine, "Would I ever lie to you, my prince?" I wasn't functioning correctly and I now knew why…

His eyes grew wide as I approached him, "I thought that I was going crazy… these dreams… they were really wearing me out… I was starting to see things, hearing voices…" My right hand reached up to brush a strand of his chocolate locks behind his ear. Our lips were now inches apart when he closed his eyes and I saw one tear escape a closed eyelid.

"Ryuu… you're not crazy… you just need to accept what is happening and not fight it. You went unconscious because you were fighting it…" He whispered, now looking into my eyes, his right hand sliding up into my hair, "I knew it was you from the moment I held the ring in my hands…"

I pulled him closer, my heart beating furiously in my chest, my body feeling empty and longing to feel his juicy lips against mine. I understood now, I had felt the weight being lifted off my shoulders. "Soryan…"

I then pressed my lips against his slightly separated ones, officially throwing my beliefs of my own world to the side and sinking deeper into this feeling I had dreaded to feel…

I wasn't functioning correctly because… I fell in love with the man of my dreams…

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**Tuesday morning, ****8.01 am**

I could slowly feel myself waking up, feeling completely rested. I remembered falling asleep in front of the TV with Sora leaning against me. I recalled that he had been sound asleep for a while, his head resting on my right shoulder. A smile formed itself on my features as I felt a small, warm form lying next to me on the couch.

I opened my eyes and they immediately rested on the sleeping face of Sora. His pink lips were slightly parted and he slightly moaned in his sleep, indicating that he was probably dreaming. About what, I wondered…

My night had been spared from strange dreams; the explanation as to why I felt completely rested probably lying there.

Last night we just talked with each other, telling each other about our present lives, our interests and the goals we'd like to achieve. I learned that Sora was nineteen and that he had just moved away from his tropical island in the Destiny Islands Archipelago. He was only child and had always had a creative talent that manifested itself in his puberty with his love for the camera. He won a national photography contest two years ago and has wished to become a professional photographer ever since. With the job Cloud gave him, he was hoping to make himself known in the photography world.

When he was fifteen he discovered his preference for boys, but has never had a real sexual relationship with anyone. He told me he was waiting for someone who'd really love him to give his body to.

As I watched him stir in his sleep, I felt the urge to kiss him again, just because his lips seemed to beg me to and because he was so adorable sleeping.

No one ever made me feel the way he made me feel back then and I could hear the words of the old man from my dream in my mind.

**_"…that person is your significant other."_**

Was it so? Did something like that even exist? Was it meant to be, like Sora told me? Were we reliving our romance of over 750 years ago again?

_"I started to dream of Ryuu two days ago, and these dreams have been disturbing me… I'm positive that it's a warning of some sort… Something bad is coming our way…"_

He told me those words right before falling asleep last night and right now I could feel my heart grow with worry. Something was wrong.

Sora told me that our souls lived thousands of lives and that each life is connected to the other, the fates in each live resembling the other.

I could vividly recall that dream of me being locked up somewhere, far away from my lover Soryan… What had happened back then? I had been sentenced to death and I could understand what had happened, but Soryan… what had happened to him?

If that life was connected to this present one, I needed to find out what happened. And I realised that we clearly did something wrong in every life previous to it if that one ended with me dead and separated from Sora. The old man at the market and the one in my dream both said the same thing; fate would repeat itself if it wasn't accepted.

I knew there was a part that I was missing, a very important element. How many lives had we lived since the one I kept dreaming about? Did we mess up ever single one of them?

If Sora and me were reincarnated and back together, then so were the people who surrounded us back then. And if I understood his explanation about karma and stuff, then… then their lives were connected to ours too and… it would be possible that the evil that was done to us back then would come back…

But how were we supposed to fight back, if we didn't even know from were the threat was coming from?

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**_Thank you to those who read and reviewed the last chap. I'm happy this story finally received some feedback, it really gave me want to continue! Stay tuned..._**

_To be continued…_

**_-Diamant Noir-_**


	5. Rediscovery

**Welcome back people, yes I know… It's been ages since I updated this story… some thought I wouldn't anymore, but here it is!**

**I need to let you all know that I've finally found a beta, yay for me, but that this chapter hasn't been completely revised yet. So until further notice, this is the final version of this chapter. **

**Thanks to my angel, Gaby, for pre-reading and giving me your stamp of approval.**

**Enjoy reading.**

**_(To - readers: a rather important part of yaoi goodness has been cut out, to read the full version of this chap, refer to my bio)_**

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4. Rediscovery

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_Hoax, summer 1253_

_A sword flung gracefully through the air, slicing an imaginary enemy with its sharp blade. Two others came up to it and the swordsman struck them down with a single strike of his weapon, their bodies falling lifelessly on the moss covered ground near the small brook._

_The sweat was rolling down his bare chest in little droplets, his muscles finally relaxing themselves after countless hours of merciless training. He took off his sword belt and tossed it near his snow white steed that was grazing calmly near the tree it had been tied against, without even looking up to it's master._

_With a sigh, the soldier sat himself next to the brook and gathered some water in his hands to drink and run it over his platinum blonde locks. Emitting a sound of delight at the freshness of the water on his heated skin, he then stood up and shook his head, sending droplets of water flying all around him. The white horse whickered in dismay at the drops that landed on him, making his owner chuckle._

_"Sorry, Bryn," He snickered, walking over to the mammal and petting it's head lovingly, "A little water won't do you harm…What do you say I give you a special curry when we get back?" The steed then whickered excitedly and stomped with it's hoofs, making the young man laugh, "I had no idea you hated coming here so much!"_

_Bryn whinnied and gave his master a small push with it's head into the direction of his belt and the rest of his clothing that was lying on the ground._

_Just as he bent over to retrieve his tunic, a suspicious sound came out of the bushes ahead of him. In response, he then slowly stood up straight, squinting into the direction of the sound. The horse whickered behind him, as if sensing something. He hushed it with soothing words, trying to distinct the object moving in between the branches. _

_"So this is where you come and practice…"_

_"Your highness!"__ The soldier exclaimed and dropped on his knees for the apparition of Hoax' heir on his horse._

_"Ryuu… this is really starting to get annoying…" The young prince whispered, with one hand on his hip, "Stop calling me like that."_

_Ryuu averted his eyes and stood up to retrieve his belongings, "I cannot do that, it wouldn't be right." He then walked over to his horse and put his saddle on the animal._

_Soryan rolled his sapphire orbs to the sky in exasperation, "I've seen the way you've been looking at me when you think I'm not watching."_

_This made the blonde briefly stop in his actions, analyzing what had been said "Forgive me."_

_"Why? You didn't commit a crime, at least not in my eyes." The young male whispered, jumping off his steed and walking over to him. "And once I become King, I'll be the law in this country…"_

_"My prince, please," Ryuu interrupted him, turning around to look at him with a pained expression, "We can't do this! It'll bring us both into problems and put the peace treaty in jeopardy, which will lead to war between Hoax and Emyra."_

_Soryan simply watched him for a moment before adverting his eyes to the brook on his right, "If there's one thing I've learned in the few months that I've been here, then it is to be relentless when it comes to conquering. Doesn't that sound familiar in your ears, Ryuu?"_

_Ryuu clenched his teeth together, helpless; he needed to hear him out. If he left the prince on his own, this would be seen as negligence from his part and he could be set off from his duties as guard of the royal couple… and somewhere inside he didn't want to loose this function and he knew that the reason stood a few meters ahead of him._

_"Amenon The Great! Amenon, The Iron Hand of the West!" Soryan loudly spoke with a small smile on his face, "How I used to shake with fear in my bed when I heard all of those stories… How I dreaded the day I would have to come to this country, even though I knew that it was the only way to save mine from being invaded and conquered by you, the Hoaxians."_

_The prince then turned around and stepped up to the blonde and his horse, "You truly are a predacious nation… always after more; more land, more richness, more women, slaves…" He chuckled briefly at Ryuu's expression of confusion, "Don't worry, I'm not saying this in a disrespectful way… It's just an observation and I am aware that you are more than only predators when it comes to conquering land… you bring your knowledge and habits…" Soryan was now standing right in front of the young soldier, who had backed himself against the trunk of a tree, "But you never let the inhabitants bring you their knowledge…" A slender hand with a large blue ring slowly rose up and touched a slightly flushed cheek, "You never let anyone get too close to you…"_

_Ryuu gulped, the mere contact with Soryan's hand setting his senses on fire._

_"But as said before… I've learned how to be relentless when it comes to conquering something. And right now…" Crystal blue eyes pierced into aqua ones with determination, "I've set out to conquer you…"_

_"My prince—"_

_"Hush… and let me do this, I'm not letting you walk away this time…" With that said he pressed his lips against Ryuu's slightly parted ones, looking him in the eyes as he did this. "We are both grown men… why deny what we feel for each other like little children would? It's not like we should be disgusted by our feelings..."_

_Ryuu groaned softly, cursing his body for reacting the way it did… He simply watched and bit his lips in shameful desire as the prince slowly slid down his body and started to unfasten the leather laces keeping his pants together. A light brush of exploring fingers sliding down his torso was all he needed to arch his back in pleasure and writhe for more. His mind may have ignored the sexual tension that had not ceased to grow after the last time they had been together, but his body sure hadn't and right now it reacted full force to even the slightest of his touches. "Soryan…"_

_"Shhh…" The brunette whispered, looking up at him from his hunched position near the blonde's groin, "Don't fight it…"_

_"Soryan…" He throatily murmured again, grabbing hold of the younger man's mass of chocolate brown locks. He knew that he'd loose control over his body in a few moments and in a way he welcomed the idea, the temptation becoming too much to ignore...In that precise moment, Ryuu took the decision that put the wheels of their fate in action. He decided to welcome the pleasure procured by the young prince, give him his love and protect him from everything, anything from the outside…_

_The words of the old man he had met in the cathedral almost two months ago were still crystal clear in his head and right now, he had to admit that he desperately wanted to believe them. He couldn't deny the love he had for the prince any longer. Consequences or not, denying Soryan his love was killing him slowly from the inside and he knew that Soryan felt the same way too._

_A strong hand took hold of the back of the younger one's head, making him look up at the blonde and coaxing him to stand and facing him. "I want you."_

_Soryan barely received the time to moan his lover's name out when Ryuu lips crashed upon his, devouring him with rough strokes of his tongue and tender bites on his lower lip. Calloused fingertips then wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, intensifying the kiss._

_"Ryuu…!" The prince breathed out, pulling out of the passionate kiss for air and pressing his forehead against Ryuu's lips in contentment. "Now, was it really that hard?"_

_"Yes… It really was…" Ryuu murmured, dipping his head to nip the skin underneath the brunette's right jaw line. "But now I know what I've been missing…"_

_"O-ohh…" Soryan moaned, his eyes fluttering shut as his head fell backwards in pleasure, giving his ardent guardian full access to his throat. Another moan escaped his lips at the friction between their grinding lower bodies, their movements growing in need with every wordless encouragement from the brunette. One hand then crawled in between them, tugging at his belt before unbuckling it with a rough gesture and letting it fall around his feet. Another hand then slid over the curve of his right shoulder, dragging the red suede tunic with it, easing it off his body. His sapphire blue eyes followed his every move, watching with a lustful eye as every inch of his body got revealed to his exploring lover. "How I have longed for your hands to touch me like this again…" He whispered throatily into Ryuu's right ear as the blonde moved in to caress kisses in his throat and on his collarbone. The thrilling sensation of those lips on his body caused his knees to grow weak and he soon found himself clinging to him in desperate need for more._

_It didn't take long until the prince was clad in nothing else but his black side-laced, tapered leather pants and his knee-high black leather boots. His lean and tanned torso was slightly glistening with a small layer of perspiration, his chest heaving up and down in anticipation. _

_Ryuu simply watched his body for a moment before approaching him again and stepping around and behind him. "I'll protect you. No matter what."_

_Soryan's eyes widened at that, the meaning of these simple words giving him the answers he had long waited for. "You're the only one I want to be with…"_

_Ryuu embraced his lover from behind and pressed a kiss at the junction of his neck and left shoulder, coaxing him to move closer to the tree right in front of them. "I know," He then whispered, even though the underlying meaning of these words threatened to overwhelm him with feelings of helplessness… helplessness because they both knew that their love couldn't possibly exist in the open without causing a fatal outcome for one or maybe both of them. _

**_"You're in for quite some trouble…_**

**_…that person is your significant other."_**

_Those feelings he felt… love… he had never felt this way… It was not the typical love a soldier had for his lord, or like the loyalty of a servant towards his master, but something deeper… something rawer…It was a constant need that needed to be satisfied… he could feel it in his guts and most importantly in his heart as well as his mind…And Soryan was the only one who could procure him what he so desperately desired and required…_

_"Take me, Ryuu…please…"_

**_(Need more explicit shounen-ai loving? Check my bio)_**

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New XillionCity, spring 2004

**Tuesday morning, ****8.39 am**

The two egg yolks frying in the pan stared back at me like a pair of eerie amber eyes, my mouth opening itself and letting a long yawn out.

After I had woken up earlier, I had fallen back asleep for some twenty minutes, which left me feeling a little tired. I had only two classes today, the first one starting at 10 and the other at 3 in the afternoon.

I left the eggs for what they were and walked over to the coffee machine to pour out two mugs of the black liquid and put them on the small round kitchen table.

"Morning…"

I raised my head to look at Sora's apparition standing in the kitchen door and gave him a groggy smile before replying with an equally drowsy greeting. He was wearing one of my black shirts with the pink inscription 'Pornography needs me' that was two sizes too big for him and a pair of matching pj's. His hair… well what was there to say about it? It looked as messed up as it did the day before, maybe even more. Although I don't think that was quite possible…

"Slept well?" I asked before yawning again and running a hand through my hair and giving him a grin. Why did I have to show my teeth like that? "Not that the couch offers a great quality of comfort, but…"

His soft chuckle made my grin grow bigger and gave me an energy boost. It was unbelievable how much of an effect he had on me with a simple chuckle. Did I already say that I simply loved his smile?

"I slept like baby…" He whispered, walking over to the eggs still frying in the pan, "You?"

"Better than I have in days…" I replied, coming to stand next to him and opening the fridge to take out to the butter and milk. "I didn't even dream."

"People always dream in their sleep," Sora said, taking the eggs out of the pan with a spatula and putting them on a plate. "You probably just forgot what it was about."

We both walked over to the dressed table and put our items on the table before taking seat on opposite seats from each other.

"Alright, so what did you dream about?" I asked him, taking a slice of bread out of the basket right from me. His witness about this subject just kept stirring my curiosity.

"You," He simply said, putting two sugar cubes into his coffee and stirring the warm liquid with a spoon.

"Now when you say 'you'," I spoke, resting with one elbow on the table and swallowing the first bite I took from my bread slice, "Do you mean—"

"Ryuu," He interrupted me, nodding, "Yes."

I smirked, I knew that… "Okay, he may not be me, but we share the same body… I'm flattered."

Sora gave me a small smile and blushed a little before taking a sip from his coffee, "And you have all rights to be…"

I frowned slightly, not understanding the meaning of his words. Then it suddenly dawned on me… we, err I mean, Soryan and Ryuu had sex… again…"Oh…" I couldn't help the blush that crossed my features then either and for some stupid and unknown reason I couldn't put it up to look at him for a long time. "So uhm… they settled their little dispute?"

"Yeah they did…" Sora whispered, scratching his neck and hesitantly looking up at me, biting his lower lips slightly.

"This is weird…" I admitted after having cleared my throat at his angelic, yet seductive way of looking at me at times. "I mean… you and I…"

"Yeah… but Riku, they are not us… We just share their bodies and their experiences" He whispered, "And besides, things are different now."

"You and me," I took hold of his hand lying on the table, and shook my head, showing him my disagreement with his words, "what they felt for each other back then and what we feel for each other now is the same. There's no difference."

His eyes lay on our joined hands for a moment before they shifted to rest on my face, "Are you serious about this? A-about us…?"

I knew deep inside that running away from what was obvious, was a stupid thing to do, let alone simply egoistical. "I'm as serious as I can be…" I said, squeezing his hand briefly and giving him a determined look, "And I don't know if the way I feel is because of what happened in the past, but I do know that I'm in love with you right now."

Sora let out a shaky sigh and then smiled timidly, "I'm in love with you too… but…"

"But what?" I softly asked, watching him intertwine our fingers.

"Let's take things slow…" He nervously whispered, tucking a strand of his hair behind an ear, "There's no hurry, right? We barely know each other…"

I put my left elbow next to my plate and rested my chin in the palm of my hand, looked at him with a small smile without saying anything, all the while caressing his thumb with my right one on the table. I started to grin when my silence became uncomfortable to him, his eyes looking from side to side and silently asking for a spoken answer. How could a boy have so much effect on me like that?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He finally asked, making me chuckle.

"Can't I look at my boyfriend as I please?" I asked, silently noticing how the word 'boyfriend' just rolled out of my mouth like I had never known otherwise. It just felt… right.

His cheeks flared with a cute pinkish colour and he softly chuckled, trying to hide his smile by looking down into his lap.

"Did I say something wrong?" I amusedly asked, seeking his eyes as he constantly moved them away from mine. He was so cute.

"No, it's just… I've never had a guy calling me 'his' boyfriend before…" He shyly admitted, his cheeks crimsoning even more now.

I chuckled, "Then I guess we're both new at this…"

"Yeah…" He slightly giggled, finally looking up at me with those mesmerizing set of eyes.

"Come here…" I then said, lifting our joined hands above the table, pulling him to me as he stood and sitting him on my lap. "I know you haven't had many pleasant experiences with other guys… I don't have any experience when it comes to loving other men romantically, but I'll tell you this; I'm in no rush whatsoever to get you into my bed. For now, I just want to talk to you, listen to you, and get to know you more. We'll know when the time will be right to take what we feel for each other to a higher level…"

He just looked at me with a relieved look in his eyes and then brushed my hair back a little, "Thank you…" His arms enveloped themselves around me and we shared a tender hug, my lips pressing against his left cheek to leave a kiss there. He giggled and let go of me, gazing at me with pleased eyes, "You're so sweet, even though you don't like showing it."

I laughed heartedly at that. Maybe it was true… and I didn't show my kindness too often. Only the people who were close to me knew how I really was; a big softie.

"Maybe it is you who brings my sentimental self out…?" I whispered as I moved my lips closer to his for a kiss.

"Then I shall use that power to my advantage…" He replied; his eyes fixed on my lips and the corners of his mouth forming an impish smile, silently giving his content for my approach.

"Really now…?" I mindlessly murmured, closing my eyes.

"Yeah…"

I don't think that there had been much time to eat after that intense kissing session. Time does fly when you're having fun doesn't it?

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5.57 pm**

I had finished all of my classes for the day and was now driving over to the CQ-magazine to pick up Sora from his first day of work. I parked my car in the underground parking lot and just stepped into the elevator when the polyphonic tone of my portable started to play in the pocket inside my jacket.

_"Hello?"_

_"Am I talking to Riku Masako?"_

_"Yes, who is this?"_

_"This is Kairi's father, Ansem Kuro."_

_"Mr Kuro, what can I do for you?"_

_"I have a business proposition for you, Riku, and I would like for us to meet."_

_"A business proposition?"_

_"Yes, how about tomorrow evening at 8 in 'La Godiva'?"_

_"I …tomorrow—?"_

_"I shall take that as a yes. I shall see you tomorrow then; have a pleasant evening, Riku."_

_"Mr Kur—"_

I stared at the device in my right hand and frowned. What was that all about? Why would Kairi's father want to work with me? Did Kairi say something? Judging by the way Mr Kuro sounded over the phone he didn't want no for an answer… and it was strange for the big CEO of Ansem Enterprises to call someone up personally like that, making me wonder all the more about his motives. I shrugged it off though, I would have to wait for tomorrow to find answers to these questions…

I stepped out of the elevator and asked at the reception where I'd be able to find Sora. I got directed to the studios on the 13th floor and indeed found him there, standing a meter of two next to Dom, taking notes.

"Hi," I whispered, coming up from behind him and kissing him gently on his left cheek, startling him.

"You almost gave me a heart attack!" He whispered back, turning around and taking off his glasses he used for reading before kissing me back, "I'm almost done, it's the last shot."

I nodded and stood up straight, watching the black haired model taking in poses for what seemed like a jewellery collection.

I walked around the studio, waiting for Sora to finish up and came to stand in front of a large mirror that happened to stand against a wall. Not that I'm vain or anything, but I had to admit that I looked better than I had in days. A small smirk appeared on my face and I put my hands on my hips in a pose. I chuckled briefly at my arrogant expression and that's when I noticed the blue ring on my right index finger. I frowned slightly; I didn't remember putting it on this morning… maybe Sora had slipped it on my finger? If so, then why did I only notice this now?

I brought my hand closer to my face and studied the dark blue ornament for a moment. It really was a beautiful piece of antique jewellery. Then I realised something else; wasn't it strange that this ring, that had belonged to prince Soryan almost 700 years ago now had found it's way back to his re-incarnated form?

I looked at my reflection again and at the ring's twin in the mirror. The feelings of danger I had had this morning came back full force, the ring seeming to respond to them with a faint glow. My head started to hurt again and I sat myself down in a nearby chair, my eyes closed. Everything seemed to rotate around me and I gasped, taking hold of my head in my hands.

**_"Prince Soryan is of no need to us anymore. I want him dead by tonight."_**

**_"What about the Emyrans, my lord?"_**

**_"The peace treaty is of no use with their prince dead, is it? Kill those still in the castle. We will set out for Emyra first thing in the morning. I want my entire battalion to be ready to head out by then."_**

**_"Very well, my lord."_**

A loud gasp escaped me and I stood up, almost stumbling backwards over the chair and panting like I had just run a 500m at top speed. My eyes were teary and I my heart beat like crazy in my chest.

"Riku!"

I saw Sora running up to me with a worried look on his face. I took him in my arms, holding him tightly to me, the words I had heard still horribly clear in my mind. "They killed you…" I couldn't stop whispering, crying uncontrollably, "Oh god, they killed you…"

It felt like a piece of my soul had died, the sorrow of over 700 years coming back up to the surface in the form of excruciating, emotional pain.

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Thank you for reading, and don't forget to review if you'd like!_**

_To be continued…_

**_-BDP-_**


	6. Intertwined souls

**Hey ya'll! Finally back home after my voyage to the ****US**

**Thanks for the reviews those of you took the time to write; I hope you'll like this chap as much as the others. Enjoy.**

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5. Intertwined souls

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New XillionCity, spring 2004

**Tuesday evening, ****6.12 pm**

The car ride back home was a silent one. I didn't want to talk to Sora about what had happened back in the studio; I couldn't even put it up to look at him without having feelings of guilt washing over me. His eyes turned my way from time to time, wanting to start a conversation, but changing his mind every time he had barely opened his mouth and turning his head back to look at the scenery outside my car.

He too had gotten silent after I had cried into his arms that someone had killed him… He knew to whom I had been referring to, and even though he had told me that things were different from back then, I knew that the news of Soryan's murder was a dishevelling one.

I wanted to tell him that what happened to Soryan wouldn't affect his life, but I just knew that that would be a lie, a big selfish lie. I almost regretted telling him what I heard and I desperately wanted him to talk to me, say something, no matter what.

I was so afraid and feeling so guilty; emotions that had been Ryuu's too back then, since he hadn't been able to save his Soryan by the looks of it. There was also a constant, nagging frustration and feeling of helplessness growing inside of me; what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to stop whatever was coming towards Sora and me?

I had unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tighter and as I drove into a street on my right, it was with so much anger that we both heard my tires screeching beneath us.

Sora was looking at me again, but I just refused to return his gaze for fear of seeing his worried expression. I didn't want him to worry, I wanted to protect him, let him know that I wouldn't let anything happen to him.

I suddenly realised that I resembled Ryuu by thinking those thoughts, but it didn't irk me in any way, I had accepted in the mean time that Ryuu was as much of me as I was as much of him. I would do anything to keep Sora safe. Anything.

I closed the door to my apartment after Sora and I had entered it, and immediately saw a large red suitcase lying on the dinner table.

"Leon must've come by and dropped the rest of my stuff…" Sora said quietly, a strange expression on his face as he laid a hand on his suitcase and let out a shaky sigh.

I squinted and then approached him, tilting his chin up so he'd look at me; I instantly read the large amount of insecurity and fear in them. "I won't let you leave." I simply said before pressing my lips against his without warning, his surprised gasp muffled by my possessive kiss. I pulled him closer to me, wanting to make him feel that I was being serious, that no matter what happened, I wanted to be there for him. His hesitant hands sliding up my shoulders told me that he had indeed been afraid that I had wanted him to leave and so I reinforced my grip on him, pressing him more against me with my left hand on his smaller back and deepening the kiss with my other hand on the back of his head. His tongue met mine hesitantly, his moan vibrating against my lips. I felt him clutching to me, pressing closer and in response, I slid my hands down his back and rounded the curve of his buttocks. He moaned again and I unconsciously grinded myself against him, wanting to hear that sensual response again.

The press of his little hands against my chest and his weak whimper made me break the kiss, knowing that if we continued on, we'd end up doing something we both weren't ready for. He then threw himself in my arms again, his head resting against my chest and his small hands grabbing hold of the fabric of my jacket almost in a desperate manner.

"Thank you." He whispered, his eyes closed and voice trembling with held back tears. "Thank you for finding me."

I frowned slightly at that, not understanding why he suddenly had to say something like that. I just held him to me, closing me eyes and sighing. I felt like I had lived for centuries and only now had found rest in his arms. Maybe it was that that he meant? He had been searching for me, like I had unconsciously been searching for him…

**8.58 pm**

Sora was sitting at the dinner table, pre-editing the pictures from the photo shoot on his laptop; the illuminated computer screen was reflected in his glasses, his concentrated face changing colours like a chameleon with every click of his portable mouse.

I brought him his second mug of coffee of that evening and wanted to walk into the small hall leading to the bedrooms when he called me back.

"Dom said he wouldn't be on time for your shoot tomorrow, and asked me to cover for him until he gets there." He told me, taking off his glasses and looking up at me with a smirk.

I smiled back, "That's great, Sora! This will be a chance for you."

"Yeah," He smiled, putting his glasses back on, and typing something very quickly on the keyboard, "too bad it's not only going to be you in front of my camera."

I frowned, "What do you mean? I thought it was just going to be an individual session?" I asked, a little confused, Cloud did say that the Von Aglio's house had asked explicitly for me.

Sora however, shook his head, "No, it's going to be you and some guy called Sephran… Sephiran— Wait I have his name in here somewhere…" I watched him taking a sheet of paper out of the bag he usually kept his laptop in and read it. "Right, it's Sephiroth Nobuhiro." He then said with a content face. "I remember that name from somewhere, but I can' figure out from where… Do you know him?"

I shook my head in all honesty; that name unknown to me. I was feeling a little betrayed though, why did they suddenly take away my private shoot?

"Oh don't look like that, Riku," Sora suddenly chuckled, making me conscious of the expression of disappointment that was on my face. "I know from some of your colleagues that you're the star of the magazine… I'll make sure that that guy doesn't steal your shine…" He then mockingly added, his grinning teeth looking blue-ish in the light emitted from the screen in front of him.

I chuckled, how was it that he exactly knew how I felt? And how was it that he just knew how to make me see how stupid it actually was to feel that way?

I watched him work further on his laptop for a while, wanting to keep him company as the evening proceeded and an apprehending silence came in between us.

Around 9.30 I heard a set of keys jingling at the other side of the front door and a moment later we both saw Kairi step in, her hands full with bags from different stores.

"Hi boys," She greeted and I could hear that she had had to take the stairs.

"Did some exercise?" I grinned, standing up as I saw her fumble with her keys and her bags, all the while trying to turn around and closing the door behind her.

She blew a strand of her auburn hair out of her face and handed me a few bags so she could close the door. "What the hell is wrong with that elevator!"

I shrugged sheepishly and looked at Sora who was grinning behind his laptop, "It worked just fine when we came up."

She grumbled something underneath her breath and dropped her other bags on the couch on her way to the kitchen. "I'm starving! What did you guys make?"

"We left some for you in the microwave," Sora responded, closing his laptop and taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. He was tired.

"Did you see your suitcase, Sora? Leon dropped by around 4 today, I just told him to leave it on the table." Kairi said from the kitchen before the sound of the microwave went off.

"Yeah, thanks Kairi," Sora then said, stifling a yawn and disconnecting his laptop to put it back in his case.

"I don't know how we're going to accommodate with you now being here," She stepped out of the kitchen with a plate with steaming food in her one hand and a glass of water in the other, sitting herself at the table and giving me a questioning look. "We only have two rooms. I know it would be more obvious for you to bunk with Riku, but since he has a phobia about homosexual men—"

"Sora can sleep with me, it's already been arranged." I simply said from my seat on the sofa.

Sora was chuckling softly; I could hear him as I picked up the remote for the TV. Was Kairi looking that surprised? Oh right, she didn't know about Sora and me. Come to think of it, it was all kind of a strange story to tell her about.

I turned my head to the dining area to see Sora walk over to me and sitting himself next to me. He rested his head on my lap and calmly watched the television as I locked eyes with my other roommate to read her expression. She was torn, to say the least, between believing her eyes and jumping to conclusions too fast.

"Are you two…?" she soundlessly asked me, pointing at Sora who was invisible from where she was sitting. I gave her a grin, I had to admit that the ambiguity of the situation was clear, but I just shrugged, not giving her an answer, since I honestly didn't even know what she thought 'We were…?' I'm cruel, I know. But it's so much fun, especially when Kairi's is the dupe. I love her dearly, but I love to pull pranks on her more.

I turned my head towards Sora's lying on my left thigh and raised a hand to caress his spiky tresses. "If you want to sleep, you can go to bed already." I whispered softly to him, watching how he turned to lie on his back so he was looking up at me.

"Am I making you feel uncomfortable?" He asked, moving to sit himself next to me, his face set on hesitation.

"No, silly," I chuckled. Coaxing him to lay back the way he had before, "It's just that I saw you yawn earlier and you don't need to stay with me if you want to sleep."

He pouted slightly, "It's just that… I'd rather have you with me in there… at least until I fall asleep…"

I nodded knowingly, brushing a strand of his brown locks out of his beautiful eyes and tapping with my right index on his nose, "I'll go with you then; I have a long day ahead of me anyway."

He gave me another of his wonderful smiles and got up. I followed close behind him and as I passed Kairi's sceptic glare, I chuckled and pressed a kiss on her forehead, "I want to talk to you first thing in the morning." I actually wanted to ask her about her father's motives for asking me out for dinner tomorrow.

"Same here, Blondie." She responded, her eyes following us as we retreated into my bedroom. "Don't make too much noise in there!" I could hear her say after I had closed the door.

A simple 'goodnight' would've largely been enough, Kai, jeez…

**11.17 pm**

His petite body was clutching against mine, his soft breath caressing my throat and jaw line. I couldn't help but admire him and feeling my heart beat faster with every sleep induced moan he emitted. His pink voluptuous lips were slightly separated, his eyelashes peacefully resting on his cheeks, his mind completely submerged into the depths of his sub-conscience.

Gods, he was the most beautiful person I had ever seen in my life… My right index slightly touched his nose piercing, wondering when he had had it done and if maybe he had other piercings elsewhere on his body…

No need to tell that the more I spent time with Sora, the more and more attracted I felt myself become to him. The dreams in which Ryuu and Soryan make love just kept repeating themselves in my head and I've been struggling with boners almost all day. I know, you might think that I'm slightly perverted, but you wouldn't be able to do otherwise when you have a gorgeous creature like Sora lying next to you, curled around and against you so enticingly.

"Whya'youtouzchin'mynoze…?" He suddenly murmured, his eyes still closed, making me chuckle in shame for being caught.

"Sorry… go back to sleep…" I whispered, kissing him on his lips tenderly and letting him adjust the grip he had on my chest with his right hand. His questioning frown soon dissipated itself into a worriless expression, his body relaxing back into sleep.

I wanted to hold him to me like that forever, just him and me in our world alone, the rest just passing us by and leaving us be. Nothing else mattered in that moment, he was all I needed and I was all he needed.

"Don't…! I—no! Seiyuu!"

I looked down at him with a frown, his low mumble shaking me out of my thoughts again. Where did I hear that name before?

"You don't know how much he means to me… please… don't go…"

His grip on me tightened anxiously and I grabbed his hands in one of mine, wanting to comfort him, "Shh… I'm here… don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, I'll be with you forever."

To my grant dismay he suddenly started to sob and grabbed me even tighter, crying uncontrollably. I continued to whisper soothing words to him until he finally stopped, the dream he had been having apparently coming to an end.

What just happened? Was it another one of those dreams? Who was Seiyuu? And why did that name sound so familiar…? Another past life incarnation?

**

* * *

Wednesday morning, ****10.01 am**

"I still don't get it… why does your father want to work with me?"

Kairi took the remote of the TV and silenced the aerobic program that was on, taking the short break to stretch her leg- and arm muscles while she looked out of the window.

"Because," she said, "his company has developed a new product and he wants you to become it's new face."

"Why me?" I questioned, watching her bend over with her legs spread and touching the green work-out carpet with her forehead. That was pretty impressive… and pretty flexible too…

"Because," Sora came into the conversation, walking out of the room he and I shared last night, "You are gaining in popularity amongst the crowd of this city."

I gave him a sceptic stare; so I was popular with the male homosexual population. What help would that be to Mr Kuro?

"And no; not just with the homosexual population; girls love you too." He said and I thought I heard a slight hint of discontent in those last four words. I put it aside though; he had once again known exactly what I was thinking. How did he do that? How did he know about the girls?

"Right, Sora," Kairi breathed, as she successively touched her right toe with her left hand fingers and her left toe with her right hand fingers, "And I would hold on to that boyfriend of yours very tightly."

Sora looked at me with his deep pools of blue and I reached out a hand to him that he took, "He has nothing to fear; we won't lose each other…" I then softly added, "This time it's forever…"

I was suddenly aware of the awkward silence that had followed those words. Sora was still looking at me, though it was with a hesitant smile. "What?" I asked, wondering why they were both looking at me as if I had said something crazy.

"Normally I would say that that was so sweet, but I'm kinda hesitating because this is not like you at all," Kairi spoke while she slid down on the floor and did a split, "You two barely know each other."

"Oh come on, Kai. Give love some slack here!" I chuckled and pulled Sora to me, brushing a few of his chocolate strands out of his face, "I like Sora. A lot. It's just the way I feel about him… And I know it's how he feels about me… I don't want anyone else."

Sora blushed cutely and averted his eyes, softly whispering my name. I then turned my head towards Kairi again, but she turned her head to the window and resumed her stretching.

I sighed inwardly as I looked at her, feeling a little bad for reasons I already explained. I just wished she would stop torturing herself like this; how long was I supposed to put my life on hold just so she wouldn't feel hurt?

I felt a gentle finger caressing my right cheek and I focused my attention back on Sora. He gave me a questioning look, silently asking me what was wrong. I shook my head reassuringly and let go of him, walking over to my jacket that hung over a chair. "We're gonna be late for class, come on Sora."

As I opened the door and held it open so Sora could exit, I saw Kairi bend over the windowsill as she closed her eyes and sighed out softly. I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't give her what she wanted… I wasn't the one she was searching for; I wasn't what she needed…

**1. 22 pm**

I was sitting on one of the benches surrounding the eastern fountain in central park, reading through the notes I had taken in the last class and waiting for Sora to finish his so we could head over to the magazine for my photo-shoot scheduled at 2. I sighed out and dropped the pencil I had been holding on my opened notebook. Psychology had never interested me much, hence the reason why my notes were almost nothing more than one big bramble. I scratched the back of my head in annoyance and closed the book with the pencil in it. I laid back, a smile crossing my features as my face came to lie in a few rays of light that had managed to come through the leaves of the tree above me. With my eyes closed I sat there for maybe two, three minutes, my mind thinking about last night and Sora's body pressed close to mine. I had really enjoyed the feel of his skin so close to mine, his small hands on my chest, his right calve curled around mine and his soft breath tickling my senses… Even a girl never held me like that in bed; so sensual and innocent at the same time… Granted, I've never had a serious relationship with any girl; the sex always had been abundant, and in most cases… plain bad, but the point is that Sora is the first one I don't need to have sex with to have him hold me as he did last night… Doesn't that count for something?

I bend over, leaning my elbows on my knees and chuckled, just like that. I just chuckled. Odd isn't it? If someone had told me that I would fall head over heels for a boy I barely knew a week ago, I just would have had kicked his ass. And kicked it good.

I heard footsteps approaching me from my right and I turned my head to see Sora walking up to me in company of a white-haired, tall guy with whom he was laughing and acting… a bit too friendly. A frown formed on my face; Sora did say that he didn't know anyone in the city except for his uncle and Leon, right? Then where did he meet this guy? Is he a classmate maybe? Of course, that's what it was. No biggie then… However, wait, why was that guy laying an arm around my boyfriend's shoulders and pulling him closer to him?

I stood up and was ready to walk up to them as Sora spotted me and waved at me merrily, instructing me to come closer.

"Hey Riku," he greeted me as I took him in my arms. He planted a soft kiss on my lips, but my eyes were still fixed on the man he came with. Mister had the decency to look away as we kissed, so I directed my eyes back to Sora as he pulled back. "I want you to meet my professor in art aesthetics, Sephiroth Nobuhiro. He gave me my first class this morning."

"Nobuhiro?" I echoed, holding out my hand to the man. "You are a model, right?" I politely asked, even though I wanted to break his face for having touched my Sora in the way he did and taking away my private shoot.

His green eyes flashed my way and a small smirk crossed his features, giving me the creeps. There was something about him that just didn't feel right.

"Yes I am," He answered, letting go of my hand and folding his arms over his chest, as if asking me what I was going to do about it. "And you are Riku Masako, star of the popular 'CQ'- magazine. I have read all about you. Nevertheless, your biography did not mention your homosexuality. Recently converted?"

Before I could even be surprised by the fact that there was a biography of me out there without me knowing of it, I was already irritated to the point of no return by the mocking tone of his voice as he had spoken his last two sentences. I chuckled amenably instead and gave Sora an affectionate gaze that he returned by grabbing my right hand. "You really can't trust those reporters; they never get it right." I said nonchalantly.

He smirked, "Spoken like a true star." He then brought his right arm to his face a read his watch, "So, Sora told me that we are both going to be in the same photo-shoot later?"

Sora suddenly gasped and looked at his watch, "Oh, we need to go; those Von Aglio people are coming at 2.15."

As the three of us walked towards the nearest exit of the park, I got to know more about Sora's professor. He's a model for a modeling agency, but only works for it now and then, because of his full-time job as professor and also because he can't and doesn't want to expose himself too much due to his job. When I asked him why he had accepted to pose for the most popular designer of male swimwear from which the pictures would appear in the most bought gay magazine in the city, he told me with a strange smile that he hadn't been able to refuse the offer. At my sceptic face he had just laughed and brushed his hair back. I saw Sora looking at him with silent admiration and I swear I could've got killed Sephiroth right then and there. Who the fuck did he think he was!

My first impression of him hadn't been a good one and I doubted that I would ever come to like this person. He constantly came over to me as if he was hiding something, and I definitely did not like that. It felt like he was pretending to be someone he was not.

Maybe Sora fell for the masquerade, but I definitely didn't. And don't you even think for a second that I'm being selfish or jealous; I promised myself I would protect Sora and that also means keeping him away from creeps like Nobuhiro.

_

* * *

Hoax, fall-winter 1253_

_Her eyes fluttered closed as a gentle wind carrying the last signs of autumn blew through one of her room's windows, her curly auburn locks swaying softly, making her look even more beautiful to him than the last time he saw her. Maternity had enhanced this treat of hers, her growing belly just slightly sticking out from her enlarged, green with gold robe. He was marveled by how fast their little heir was growing inside of this beautiful woman and by how much he had come to miss her in the past few weeks._

_She sighed out softly, her left elbow on the windowsill as she stared dreamily over the changing woods surrounding the castle._

_He approached her from behind soundlessly, taking off his sword belt and heavy over-tunic, laying them on the bed, so he was only in his leather pants and a white, linen under-tunic._

_His calloused, yet soothing fingers erased all of the possible negative thoughts as he touched her exposed right shoulder, his soft lips on her bare skin telling her how much he had missed her on those many nights away from her._

_"You're back…" She shakily whispered, her breath catching in her throat and her eyes flickering shut as he kissed her in her neck, "You're back…"_

_He retreated from her so she could turn around and face him. A gasp escaped her and the rosary that she had been holding fell on the floor. She took a step back and clumsily tried to cover up her shoulders, "How dare you come in here! Leave, at once!"_

_He darkly chuckled, his jade eyes leisurely running up her body and halting on her rapidly rising and falling chest before moving up to her mesmerizing set of amethyst orbs. "Come on, Kilana… I've been away for a few months and this is how you welcome me back?"_

_Kilana averted her face and closed her eyes, "I have nothing to say to you, now leave, Seiyuu, before I call the guards." She started to walk towards the exit._

_Seiyuu__ smirked and beat her to the door, "How is my brother by the way? I hear that he's gone with prince Soryan to Nevoya? That's a long trip, so I guess they won't be back for a while?" He then turned around so his back was at the door and gave her another smirk._

_The princess defiantly faced him, knowing that since Soryan or Ryuu weren't here to keep Seiyuu away from her, she had to do it on her own. "What do you want?"_

_A devilish grin appeared on his features and he approached her, taking a step each time she took one back. "I think the question is what you want, Kiki… What you truly want."_

_She was slightly panting now and her breath hitched in her throat as she bumped in against her husband's desk that was already standing against the opposite wall. "I truly want you to get out." She whispered, her eyes locked with his as she subtly searched for something to throw at him with her right hand on the table behind her._

_He was now right in front of her and he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Now say it like you mean it."_

_She gasped as he took hold of her right hand and licked her earlobe, "Stop! Seiyuu!" She struggled and slapped him in his face with her left hand. She took the opportunity to run away from him while he was still in shock after her slap and tried to open the door, to find that it had been locked. Kilana almost cried in desperation at that and kept yanking at the doorknob without result._

_"Why are you so keen on running away from me?" Seiyuu spoke, legging his way to her, his voice showing slight anger._

_"Because I don't want to see you, never again!__ I told you that what happened between us before you left was a mistake!" The redhead now almost cried, facing him. "It shouldn't have got happened!"_

_"Tell me," Seiyuu whispered, resting with his hands against the door and gazing into Kilana's eyes intently, "Tell me that you didn't feel anything that night and I'll go."_

_She looked him square into the eyes, "I didn't feel anything."_

_He kept looking at her, searching for a fragment of dishonesty, but found none. "Kilana…"_

_"Go. Now." She then whispered sternly, stepping away from him as his arms surrounding her lowered._

_He took his discarded clothing from the bed and put a hand on the doorknob before looking back at her, "We made love, Kiki. That child growing inside of you is proof of that." With that he opened the door and left._

_The princess sank to the floor and sobbed while she took hold of her growing belly. She had known for the past four months that the child she was carrying wasn't Soryan's… _

_The hot tears of regret streamed her cheeks as she continued to cry. Soryan could be coming back home any day now and it was certain that he couldn't know about the baby's true father. It would jeopardize so many things… their marriage, the treaty, her crown and the future of her country and Soryan's… _

_"God please help me…" She whispered, taking the rosary back in her hands and starting a prayer._

_Just outside her window, the last leaf of a tree fell off, twirling and swaying in the wind, before flying up into the cloudy sky and disappearing. _

_

* * *

To be continued…_

**_-BDP-_**


	7. Soulmates

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the wonderful characters used in this story and there is no self-profit attached to it, it's purely for my enjoyment and that of others.**

**_A/N: Sorry for the long wait, you guys! Here it is, enjoy!_**

_

* * *

_

6. Soulmates

* * *

New XillionCity, spring 2004

**Wednesday evening, ****6.33 pm**

My fingers pressed the button for the eleventh floor in and I walked over to Sora standing in the back of the elevator as the machine started its ascent to my apartment.

"You are so jealous."

I threw my head in my neck and bit back a snappy remark, took a deep breath and placed myself next to my grinning boyfriend.

The shoot had gone as I had expected it to go; absolutely nerve wrecking. It was a true miracle that I hadn't punched Nobuhiro in the face by the end of it.

"Ms Takuchi didn't mean it that way, you know that." Sora then whispered without the smile, his right hand sliding around my right arm in a comforting way.

I sighed, of course she had, and she had had all rights too… Ms Takuchi was the representative for Von Aglio Fashion.

"She was right and I was acting like an unprofessional, selfish two year old." I whispered, my face directed to the floor in shame. "It's just… I can't stand him."

Sora was silent for a while before squeezing my arm softly and smiling up at me, "Everyone has someone like that, it's okay. By the way, you looked fabulous on those pictures and you got that contract for the upcoming Von Aglio fashion show, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but that was after Nobuhiro had excused himself for me!" I groaned in annoyance and growing shame.

Sora sighed sympathetically, "Don't think about it anymore. You have a dinner with Kairi's father tonight; you can set your mind off the shoot."

The elevator came to a halt on the eleventh floor and we stepped out.

"Join me tonight." I spoke as we stood in front of the door to the apartment.

One perfectly shaped chocolate eyebrow rose skeptically and a cheeky smile appeared on his face, "Waw that must be the most romantic way in which anyone has ever asked me for a first date." He whispered sarcastically, putting a hand on his right hip.

I chuckled softly and opened the door, "That really sucked, huh?"

"Yeah," Sora chuckled, nodding. "Try again."

I laughed and rolled my eyes up to the ceiling in amusement and cleared my throat, scraping all of my courage together. "Would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"

"Hmm… No." He simply said and entered the apartment, leaving me dumbfounded at the door. What did I do wrong this time?

"Hey!" I protested, entering and closing the door behind me. Sora was giggling as he watched me approaching him from his spot against the dinner table.

"I changed my mind." He said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't want to go to dinner."

I pursed my lips playfully as I stopped in front of him and pulled him close, "Okay… then what do you want to do?"

"You don't have any classes tomorrow, do you?" He whispered softly, sliding his hands up my chest before looking up at me expectantly.

I thought about it for a moment, knowing that tomorrow was going to be one of the rare free days I've had in months. "No, I don't…" I suspiciously whispered back, eying the brunette from the corners of my eyes.

"I'm free tomorrow too…" Sora whispered seductively, his fingers playing with the stud button of my leather jacket's collar. "So… we don't have to go to sleep early, right?"

I squinted, not sure about what it was that he really was insinuating. "What do you want?" I bluntly asked, acting like I was bored out of my mind so he'd tell me quicker.

He pouted and swatted me on my chest playfully, "Why don't we go for a movie after dinner and then you can show me around the city like you promised my uncle two days ago."

"Ah…" I whispered, "Never imagined you to be such a romantic." I teased, earning a stuck out tongue from him.

"Well, it's not like you know me very well… who knows, after tonight maybe…" He kissed me gently on my lips and then walked away from me, entering the kitchen.

I raised an eyebrow at that, silently questioning what that seductive little kitten had going through his mind this time. He couldn't possibly mean what I thought he meant did he? I… could he possibly want to…? I needed some clarifications.

"And you think that by going to a movie it'll widen our knowledge of each other?" I loudly asked, following him into the kitchen.

"Well," He said pensively, putting down the jar of peanut butter he had taken out of the cupboard above him and bringing his right index finger to his mouth to eat the small amount of light brown paste he had scooped up. "Maybe we should practice?"

Now I was totally lost, whatthe hell was he talking about? "You want to practice? Practice what?" I asked with growing confusion.

For a moment he just stared at me; his finger about to enter his mouth again after having been dipped into the jar. He then started to laugh and walked over to me. "Here, let me show you." He approached his finger close to my lips, silently asking me to part them.

I willingly obliged and received his peanut buttered finger inside my mouth. I kept my eyes open as I licked his finger clean, watching how he bit his lower lip and followed each movement of my lips and tongue.

"Did you know that I just love it when you do that?" He throatily whispered, pleasantly surprising me with his confession. His face was flushed and his breathing had gotten a little heavier.

I smiled and his finger slid out of my mouth. "And I love the taste of peanut butter on your finger."

"See?" He huskily said, his eyes still on my lips, "We learned something from each other…"

I smirked, one of my hands sliding up into his hair, "Can't wait to see what else it is you like…"

His eyes fluttered shut, "I like it when you do that too…"

"You do…?" I huskily whispered back, pulling him close and grazing with my lips over the skin of his throat as he arched his back and tentatively fluttering the tip of my tongue against that surface of smooth, toned skin. He gasped and moaned my name.

"Yes…" His hands were sliding up into my hair and he took hold of it, almost painfully. "But we need to stop."

And with that he pulled me away from him and planted another kiss on my lips before letting of me and walking back to his jar of peanut butter.

"You're torturing me! You know that, don't you?" I groaned. He had totally killed the mood, but I knew that he was still unsure about changing our still blossoming relationship into sexual one.

"I know… But I'm not doing it on purpose, you know that." He whispered softly, his attitude suddenly very timid and insecure.

"Hey…" I approached him and embraced him from behind, "Don't worry, I was just joking. You know what I told you yesterday, right? I'll wait for you to be ready. There's no rush."

"It's not that I don't want it... I do trust you…"

"I know, babe. Don't worry about it, its okay."

I pressed a kiss against his right cheek and rocked him against my body. We remained in that embrace for a while, the unspoken moment bringing us closer to each other, adding more intimacy to our growing relationship.

I turned my head to the side and saw Kairi's about to enter the kitchen in noting but her grey, comfy pants and a black, strapless bra. When she noticed both Sora and me standing by the sink, she quickly tiptoed her way out of the kitchen, inaudibly apologizing as she went. Sora didn't seem to have noticed her, because he just turned himself around and took me into a comfortable embrace.

**

* * *

7.19 pm**

"It's a blind date, Riku. I don't know who that guy is."

Kairi was resting her left foot against the low table of the living room as she put a finishing touch to her toe nails with a dark purple color of nail polish.

"Didn't Selphie tell you what he does or anything? You're just going like that?" I asked as she stood up, showing me her outfit. She was wearing a deeply cut, tie back halter top with a tiger motive and close fitting denims, high heeled, brown wedges and the large gold toned, cat fish hook earrings signed 'Babyphat' that I had bought her for her birthday. Her long auburn hair was done up in a stylish ponytail.

She looked way too good for a guy she didn't even know.

Kairi simply shrugged and walked passed me, taking her denim jacket and bag along with her from the couch. "Don't worry, Rik. We're just going out for dinner, in a different restaurant than yours that is." She walked back to me and pressed a kiss against my left cheek. "I really need this." She then softly whispered to me, rubbing away the remains of her lip-gloss on my cheek with her right thumb. I sighed, understanding what she meant, yet still not wanting for her to leave the house without me for some reason.

"Just be careful alright?" I whispered to her when she looked at herself in her mirror. "Call me when you get back home."

Kairi laughed at that, but quickly went silent when she saw my serious and worried face. "Okay." She said softly, nodding. "Please don't worry about me tonight and enjoy yourself with Sora, okay?"

I smiled and nodded. "Okay."

She opened the door and was ready to step out when she suddenly remembered something; "Do not tell my father about this." And with that she closed the door behind her.

I chuckled and plopped down on the couch, waiting for Sora to be ready so we could head out for the night. My thoughts dwelled on my female roommate for the second time that evening, a feeling of discomfort taking over me. I knew that my relationship with Sora had been the main reason that had driven her out of the house, and I did not like the idea. I felt like I was letting her down somehow, by not returning the feelings she felt for me. I had already pondered on those thoughts many times, and still I couldn't find a way to shake them off of me. A part of me was honestly glad that she was going out to meet another man, yet another part felt like that guy was going to rip her away from me and take her out of my life… And her presence in my life was something I was not willing to miss. I hold Kairi close to my heart and I do not think that that will ever change.

I stood up and walked over to the TV set. A picture of Kairi and me was standing next to it, one we had taken at the fair last year. I picked it up and chuckled endearingly at the expressions we were making on it. I remembered that just before the flash went off she had gotten into this mysterious fit of laughter and I just wanted to press a kiss on her left cheek.

She looked happy and carefree on the picture. It was one my favorite of hers.

I wanted her happiness above everything for sure, and I knew that although she wished for it, she wasn't happy with me because I didn't give her what she thought would procure her that happiness.

And so, I decided then as I put down the picture, it was better for her to set her mind off of me and meet other men.

"I'm ready, Riku. Let's go."

I turned around and found Sora putting on a black jacket over the stylish white shirt he had put on. He had tucked the shirt into the tight denims he was wearing and left the top buttons open, revealing the silver necklace he wore there, and a beautiful leather belt ornamented his waist. His feet were dressed in black, leather shoes with a pointy tip and a 4cm heel. I noticed that he had put on some eyeliner, his deep blue eyes coming out more accentuated. He had kept the sexy, nonchalant look in his hair and the designer velvet jacket brought the finishing touch to his look.

Damn. He looked h-o-t.

"I feel like telling you that you look great in those jeans, but I'm hesitating out of fear that you'll think that I'm treating you like a woman." I said, my eyes never leaving his body.

Sora chuckled, adjusting the collars of his shirt and jacket, "I do like compliments, Riku."

I smiled, not believing that this scrumptious creature was mine. All mine. "Sora… you look hot. There's no other way to describe it."

He laughed, "That makes two of us then."

"Anything to impress you on our first date." I replied, spreading my arms. I was wearing almost the same thing as him, only my shirt was black with some red inscriptions on it and my jacket reached to my knees where Sora's stopped just passed his hips. I had put on my expensive black Prada ankle boots for the occasion.

He snickered and walked over to the door, "I am impressed."

"Thank you." I walked over to him and kissed him on his cheek before taking my keys that I had put on the small table next to the door. "You smell like strawberries."

"It's my shampoo, you like?" He giggled as I opened the door and he stepped out.

"I love it."

"My hair?"

"Love it."

"My eyes, lips?"

"Love it. I love everything about you. In fact, you look so good, that I would like to have a bite from you…" I said and playfully attacked him from the back in his neck with my teeth, making him giggle and squirm in my arms as we awkwardly made our way to the elevator.

**

* * *

8.36 pm**

"A campaign?"

Ansem Kuro nodded, delicately wiping away the remains of his sweet chilly salmon and then laying his napkin aside. He then sat back, resting the tip of his ten fingers against each other, waiting for an answer from my part.

"You want me to do a campaign for a new type of mobile phone your company developed?" I asked incredulously; I was excited that this chance was being offered to me and I couldn't believe that I was actually that wanted in the city. My eyes turned to look at Sora on my left and found him smiling back at me encouragingly with his glass of water in his right hand.

The amber eyed man smiled, "I wanted to make sure that we got a new popular face with big potential. I heard that you're to do the fashion walk show that is due to happen within 3 weeks. That's a big thing for an uprising super model like you."

I briefly wondered how he knew about my contract with Von Aglio, but I quickly dismissed it. He was indulging me with compliments to get to what he wanted from me of course, but I couldn't deny that I didn't like it.

"What is so special about this new mobile?" Sora asked, laying down his fork on his plate, "There are already portables with cameras, internet connections, GPS and MP3's. What else can you add to that?"

I raised an eyebrow at his good question, silently realizing that maybe I had been a little too excited about what was being offered to me to think about what I really was getting myself into. The image of the mobile would greatly affect the image people would have of me, so I needed to know what it's abilities were and if the company I was about to collaborate with had a good image. I realized that I actually should have talked to Cloud about this.

Mr Kuro put down his glass of wine and chuckled, "My company created software capable of recognizing DNA."

I squinted, taking my glass of water from the table and approaching it to my lips, "Like the one used for personal identification the government uses?"

He nodded, "Yes, and like them we want to use this software for security. To secure a mobile from being stolen."

"How?" I heard Sora say.

"Personal Identification by Touch." Kuro said with a small proud smile.

"Wow." Both Sora and I said.

"That's…" Sora began, obviously amazed, "This would mean a great technological advance."

Kuro nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment.

"How does it work?" I asked.

"Rather simply; after the purchase of one of our mobiles, the costumer only has to initiate the identification by keeping his right index on the screen so the mobile recognizes him and sees him as the rightful owner." Another cunning smile passed over the elder man's face. "But I will leave the details for your agent, Riku."

"Of course." I smiled amenably.

Sora then stood up from his seat and excused himself from the table to go to the restrooms.

"He is a handsome young man, your boyfriend."

I frowned and looked at Kairi's father, "How did you know…?" I never told him that Sora and I were together.

"Never mind how I found out, Riku." He said with a reserved smile, "It is not of importance."

I smiled uneasily and sat back in seat when a waiter came to clean up our table and handed us the menus for desert.

"What does he do?" Kuro inquired after the waiter had gone with our orders.

"He's a photographer for CQ-Mag." I answered.

"Where is he from?"

"From the Destiny Islands." He nodded and sat back just in time to see Sora returning.

"I ordered a dessert for you." I whispered to him.

"What did you get me?" He whispered back with a curious look on his face.

"Une poire belle Hélène." I spoke to him in my best French.

"A wha?" He amusedly asked, making me wonder if he hadn't understood my French or if he really didn't know what it was.

Kairi's father smiled at that, "It's a poached pear with vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce and pistachio biscotti."

"Ah." Sora said, grinning. "Yum."

I laughed at his cute remark and took his right hand in mine. Sora raised a surprised eyebrow at that before looking at me and blushing.

"Love is a double edged sword isn't it?" The white haired man suddenly spoke from above his glass of wine.

I didn't understand why he made that sudden remark and nor did Sora by the way he questioningly looked at me. "Sir?"

He smiled and shook his right hand, asking us to forget about it. "I won't keep you two lovebirds from sharing an intimate evening together seen the fact that I've done what I had intended to do tonight." With that said he stood up and called one of the nearby waiters. "I have other matters to attend to for now. Please enjoy the rest of your meal at my costs."

"Mr Kuro—" I wanted to apologize and ask him to stay longer out of politeness, but he just shook his head.

"I will not take no for an answer. Please enjoy and we'll talk to each other soon." He turned to Sora, "It was nice meeting you, Sora. Hope you'll enjoy your stay in the city."

"Thank you, Sir." Sora demurely whispered.

He gave his orders to the waiter and the young man nodded before rushing away. He then turned around one last time, "Have a pleasant night," and then walked towards the lobby where he received his long coat and gloves before disappearing through the entrance door.

"He's not that bad." Sora then said to me as our dessert was being brought and put on the table.

"He isn't, though he certainly is a different man from when I still lived in the sub-urbs." I picked up the small fork and took a piece from the pear with some chocolate and brought it up to his mouth.

"Hmm. I love chocolate." He mumbled with his eyes closed, savoring the taste.

I now scooped up some ice cream, "You do, huh?"

He nodded and opened his mouth for the ice cream and licking his lips after he had eaten it. "It's an aphrodisiac, you know."

"I do know," I playfully said, watching how he scooped up some pear with chocolate from his dessert plate and approached it to my mouth. "Are you trying to get me in the mood or something?"

"Or something…" He whispered impishly after he had fed me my first bite of dessert.

**

* * *

10. 57 pm**

That night, the full moon shone brightly up in the sky, nightlife slowly awakening in the city. Sora and I came out of the movie theater clutching to each other as we laughed about the romantic comedy we had just seen.

I held up a cab that drove by and we both got in.

"Oh come on! I thought it was a good movie!" Sora giggled, resting his body against mine on the backseat of the now moving car.

I laughed, "Hey, I didn't say it was bad!"

"I just found it so sweet that he just kept trying to make her remember him… makes me think about us in a way." He whispered, now looking at me.

I smiled and caressed the back of his head lovingly, "What would you have done if I hadn't recognized and accepted you?"

"Probably would've gone find me a hole to crawl in and die." He told me softly, his eyes trailing away from mine.

I gave him a soft smile and put my index finger underneath his chin, turning his face to me, "Don't say things like that. I'm glad I found you, you're the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Do you really mean that?" He whispered and I could hear his voice tremble slightly from the tears he was holding back. All evening long I had had the impression that something had been bothering him.

I took his face in my hands and made our lips connect in a soft, soothing kiss. His trembling lips hesitantly moved against mine, a shaky breath escaping him as I let go of him and watched him for a long moment. "I've known you for so long, Sora. I know what it is my heart is telling me right now. It wants to be with you, I want to be with you."

"Riku…" He sniffled, bending his head. A tear found its way out of his closed eyes and I made him look at me again.

"We belong together." I told him, wiping away his tears. His beautiful orbs were like endless pools of sorrow, my heart breaking at the mere sight of them like this. "And I will never, ever let you go; you're most precious to me."

"Promise me," He whispered, now clutching against my chest, "Promise me that you'll come and find me in our next lives."

I closed my eyes as my right cheek rested against his unruly mass of hair and smiled, "I will. I'll keep searching for you until the end of times."

I felt his grip on me grow tighter and he whispered; "Let's go home."

"You tired?" I asked softly.

He shook his head, "I want this night to be ours, Riku." He raised his head, "Make love to me tonight."

I couldn't speak, let alone breathe. He had asked it so simply and yet I could feel my heart beat like crazy in my chest. I had wanted this ever since I first kissed him and now I was almost shaking from nervousness. It felt like my first time all over again…

The cab drove tranquilly through the centre of the city while we stayed in our embrace, the feelings we had for each other ready to be exchanged for something deeper, something more serious…

_

* * *

Hoax, winter 1253_

_He awoke with a start in his moonlit room; his body was glistening with sweat. His breath was coming in ragged gasps, his sleep deranged by a disquieting dream. A hand ornamented by a large blue ring crawled up his muscled abdomen, the face of a young man appearing from behind his back._

_"Those dreams again?" The young brunette asked his bedmate with a worried face._

_The other let himself fall on his cushion again and closed his turquoise eyes tiredly, "They are worrisome, and I have not slept in a week now because of them." _

_In the light of the moon shining through his small window, he could see the beautiful face of his royal lover appear above him, his sapphire blue eyes eerily pale in the silver shine._

_"What are they about?" The younger one asked._

_The blonde hesitated a little, not sure if telling his lover about his dreams was a good thing. "Don't worry yourself about it; lay back to sleep."_

_"Ryuu, do not try to protect me like you would a child." The prince sternly said, his eyes piercing into Ryuu's._

_Knowing his lover well enough to know that he could be extremely stubborn when he wanted to, Ryuu sighed, surrendering. "They are about you."_

_The brunette frowned for a brief moment and then stared at him with a small smile, "Then why are they worrying you?" He whispered softly, caressing Ryuu's face with his left hand._

_"Soryan…"The soldier turned his face away and sighed, not knowing how he was supposed to tell his lover about his dreams._

_"My love, tell me." Soryan whispered, "What kind of dreams about me can they be, if they cause you that much distress?"_

_Ryuu closed his eyes and sighed again before looking at him again. "I lose you in them…"_

_"Lose me?" The prince echoed, smiling briefly, "You will never lose me—"_

_"You die." Ryuu interrupted him, bringing a hand up to touch Soryan's beautiful face._

_"Oh…" Soryan laid himself next to him, resting his head against Ryuu's left shoulder. For a long moment they didn't speak a word._

_"They are only dreams, Ryuu." Soryan then whispered after a while, his left hand caressing Ryuu's abdomen absently, "They are not real."_

_"I don't know why I keep dreaming about such things…" Ryuu whispered apologetically. "I—"_

_"It is alright, love. Worry about it no more." The prince softly whispered, pressing a kiss on his chest. "I am still here, so please, go back to sleep; nothing will happen to me."_

_"The thought of losing you is one I can't bare, Soryan. I wouldn't be able to go on." Ryuu whispered, hooking his right leg over the prince's underneath the raw, animal fur and burying his face in the younger man's throat._

_"I love you." The brunette softly told him as he felt him pressing kisses on his skin._

_Ryuu rolled on top of him and slid his hands into Soryan's, bringing them to lie above his head on the bed, pinning them there._

_Spreading his legs and closing his eyes at the familiar press of his lover's tip against his entrance, Soryan bit back a moan when his lover's member smoothly slid inside of him. The shaky gasps that came out of his mouth were immediately silenced by Ryuu's lips taking possession of his, their bodies starting the sensual, ages-old rhythm that would bring them to their release._

_"Soryan…" The soldier throatily whispered, his eyes half lidded as he stared at the by rapture taken face of his lover beneath him. "I won't let anything happen to you."_

_Soryan whimpered softly, arching up at one particular deep stroke. The pleasure Ryuu gave him each time they made love was of intensity that he could hardly bare, the moans and cries flowing out of his mouth like water flowing out of a can._

_"Shhh…" Ryuu shushed, slowing down his thrusts and lying his head down in the crook of the young prince's left shoulder. "Your passionate replies will wake the entire castle, my love."_

_"Then silence me, because I cannot control my body any longer…" He moaned back, writhing restlessly beneath him. "Oh… god…!"_

_Ryuu chuckled at that and kissed him again, muffling his lover's ardent responses._

_Their forms kept moving faster and needier with every stroke in the pale light, until they froze in silent ecstasy and then limply fell on the bed, welcoming sleep once more._

_A lonely figure stood outside the door leading to the young captain's chamber, one ear pressed against the wooden surface._

_"Brother, what have you done?"_

_

* * *

To be continued…_

**_-BDP-_**


	8. Become one

_**I hope you guys are still with me out there?**_

_**We're moving on with the story, and ya'll know what's coming up next… **_

**_Big thanks goes_** **_out to my beta Gabriel. Sweetie I know, I keep saying it, but that's only because it is true; I never would've got known exactly what to do if it wasn't for you._**

_**Please enjoy this chapter, I know I did…**_

* * *

**_7. Become one_**

* * *

New Xillion City, spring 2004

**Wednesday night, 11. 18 pm **

I couldn't tear my eyes away from him; his scent, his presence, and the touch of his small fingers on my arm… it was all too much for me to take. I needed him; I wanted him like I had never desired anyone before in my entire life. The soft press of his lips against mine wasn't enough, my body longed for more. I longed for so much more.

The atmosphere was loaded with electric tension when I closed the door to my apartment; it was only going to be him and me tonight.

Locking the door for the night, I then turned around slowly, finding Sora looking at me expectantly.

He reached out his right hand to me and I took it, letting him lead me into our bedroom. Once there, he closed the door and turned around to face me. His eyes, those magnificently beautiful eyes of his were silently telling me that he was a little nervous.

I smiled reassuringly, or at least I tried, because I felt like my heart was about to pop out of my chest with all the pounding it was doing.

He chuckled back and we both chuckled, relieving a little of the tension.

Next, he took my right hand in his again and placed it flat on his chest, making me feel the raging of his own heart.

"I want this." He then whispered, his eyes determinedly looking into mine. "I want you."

I couldn't wait to touch him after that and approached him, moving the hand he had placed on his heart up his throat, caressing the warm skin there for a moment before moving up into the silken mass of his brown locks.

"I want you too… God, I want you so much, Sora." I heard myself whisper, almost unable to contain my ever growing longing for him.

The kiss that followed those words was the most passionate we ever shared. I poured in all of my feelings for him then, all of my desire. Our tongues slid over each other, tasting, licking and cherishing while my hands began to explore his body, eliciting delicious moans and whimpers from him, the sound of my name coming from his mouth the sweetest thing I ever heard.

The jacket he had been wearing fell to the floor along with my own, our lips never letting go of one and other.

His small hands hesitantly pulled me closer to him and we moved ourselves against the door, my body pressing against his.

When he turned his head away to breathe in the much needed air, I concentrated my kisses on the soft skin of his throat, making him mewl my name oh-so erotically, setting my senses aflame. He tasted like honey, his sweet, sugary taste leaving me wanting for more. I took possession of his lips once more, all the while subtly crawling a hand underneath his t-shirt, caressing the soft planes of his flat stomach.

"Riku…"

I soon realised that Sora's body became hyper sensitive to every touch when he was sexually stimulated.

"That tickles…" He whispered with a playful giggle.

"It does?" I murmured against his throat, nuzzling his skin there while my left hand underneath his shirt crept up and my right one opened it's buttons. I skimmed his right nipple and his high pitched gasp near my ear made me grin impishly, "You sure that only tickles?"

I could feel myself become rock hard as his body continually writhed against mine, his hips pressing up against me. I closed my eyes and moved my right leg in between his, pressing carefully, yet enticingly against his crotch.

Sora honestly surprised me when he cried out; his back arching away from the wall.

"Beautiful…" I throatily whispered, letting my tongue flicker against his as he opened his mouth to let out another moan.

"Riku…" He muttered pleadingly, his eyes now covered by a veil of lust. "My body's on fire…"

He made me think of an ignorant boy at that time, my mind briefly forgetting that he was still a virgin. But I would soon come to discover that although he was still untouched, he wasn't a newbie when it came down to pleasuring men.

"You're big…" he softly said, reaching in between us and caressing my arousal through my still zipped up pants. I smirked at his slightly amazed face as he was looking down in between us.

"Afraid you won't be able to handle it?"

He chuckled and raised a defiant eyebrow when he looked back at me, "Just watch me."

_**(I recommend you to check my bio for the large part that has been cut...)**

* * *

Hoax, fall 1254_

_The chains around his ankles made a soft clinging sound as he tried to shift into a more comfortable position on his spot on the harsh floor. _

_Soon they would come and reunite him with the only thing he had ever loved in his whole life. The only thing he had not been able to protect._

_His eyes shifted to look into the palm of his hands as he opened them, revealing with filth smudged, calloused fingers. Fingers that had felt how the life of his loved one slowly had ebbed away, as he hadn't been able to speak until it was too late, not understanding what had been happening until his hands had been holding nothing but the entity without it's subsistence…_

_All tears had left his body and now he had nothing else left to live for, nothing to share with anyone._

_Soon they'd be here and end this pain. Soon he'd see him again and they'd be together; together where they'd be free of loving each other without restrain._

_His heart had maybe been broken, his body now beaten and tired, but their love and the memories they had shared would never, ever die._

_They would survive until the end of times…_

_--------------------------------------_

_Sitting himself on the seat reserved for him next to the King's, the young prince silently resented the spectacle about to be displayed._

_The king had urged for his presence at the judgement of a criminal who had betrayed the country. Amenon had wished for him to see how severely the ones who did not comply with the law were being punished._

_Not being a big fan of cruelty in proportions like these, Soryan had complied nevertheless, not wanting to offend Hoax' ruler by declining his offer._

_And so he sat, watching from an elevated tribune how a crowd of villagers was waiting around a higher stabled podium. A black hooded headsman was waiting on it, his sharp axe standing next to him._

_Soryan felt himself become more and more uncomfortable as the minutes crawled by. Then suddenly, there was slight commotion in the crowd as two men made their way through the people, seeming to drag along a third that could barely stand on his feet. He couldn't clearly see the prisoner and decided that he probably was for the best._

_"What did he do to deserve such humiliation?" He asked, turning his head to the king, trying with all his might to shut off the growing cheers of the executioner's name by the crowd._

_Amenon's_ _cold amber eyes turned to look at him and they just studied the young man for a moment before replying with a small smile, "He was a member of the royal guard, but lost the empire's trust when he was caught passing on information to the enemy."_

_Unwillingly, Soryan frowned, his heart starting a frenzied, anxious rhythm in his chest. "A member of the royal guard?" He whispered with difficulty._

_The king smiled and nodded, "Yes. But let's talk about something else while the headmen readies himself." He said with another smile, his eyes resting on the now turned pale prince. "How was your voyage to Sunil?"_

_Despite his efforts to not look at what was happening a few meters from him, the brunette soon found his attention slip from the conversation as the cheers of the crowd became of such an intensity that he couldn't ignore them anymore. As he turned his head back to the podium, he felt his heart stop beating._

_Kneeling right in front of the headman was a very bruised, thin and pale Ryuu._

_"But that's…!" He managed to speak, his voice trembling and his body shaking. "How is this…"_

_"I'm afraid Ryuu has proven himself to be a traitor during your absence, who knows maybe he was already tipping the enemy before your voyage. I cannot let someone like that live." Amenon's flat tone made Soryan look at him with disbelief._

_"Gabriel! Gabriel! Gabriel!"_

_Soryan watched helplessly how his love was forced to rest his head upon a wooden pedestal._

_Then suddenly it all fell into place; Seiyuu had told the king about his affair with Ryuu even though he had pleaded him not to and he had given him his word. Yet, it still didn't make any sense… why would Seiyuu betray his own brother like this?_

_He wanted to scream and run up to Ryuu and beg for his forgiveness for he did realize that it was his entire fault. He shouldn't have got pushed him into loving him…_

_If only… if only he had notice that something had been wrong when the king had asked him to go on a diplomatic mission to the other side of the world without Ryuu…_

_"Sire, please spare him." Soryan whispered watching how the executioner lowered the blade of his axe on Ryuu's neck to define his aim. "He has become a true friend to me."_

_Amenon chuckled and looked at him, "Then I hope for his sake that Gabriel's axe is sharp and his aim true." He then turned his head back to the morbid scene, lifting his right hand to give a signal to the headsman, who rose his axe in turn. "Begging for one's life is not for a prince to do, nor is sleeping with a mere royal guard." _

_Soryan gasped at that before seeing the axe come down swiftly as Amenon lowered his hand with austerity._

**

* * *

Thursday morning, 03. 58 am **

"No!" I shrieked, holding on to my throat and sitting up in my bed, wildly looking around me, expecting to see the executioner holding an axe above my head. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm myself down, but it was to no avail. I threw the covers off of me and stumbled to my bathroom where I threw up in my toilet. I was sobbing uncontrollably now as I sat there on my knees; the dream had been way too realistic for my liking. I had felt the sharp blade cut into my flesh…

"Riku…?" Sora approached me and threw his arms around me. His body was trembling against mine. "Are you okay?" His voice was anxious and full of worry.

I just kept sobbing softly in his arms, holding on to him like to my dear life. "Oh my God…"

"I-I know…" He whispered, "I was there too…"

"B-but if you weren't killed…?" I managed, moving myself to sit against the toilet.

"It was a scheme to lure us out." Sora whispered softly and I noticed that his voice sounded hollow and fatigued and that he was very pale and shaking.

"Sora?" I took him in my arms when he closed his eyes and took a few gasping breaths. Something was seriously wrong with him…

He suddenly cried out in pain and held on tight to me, big tears flowing over his cheeks. He then sighed out shakily, "Why now…?"

"Babe?" I whispered, alarmed, "What's wrong?"

"Take me to a hospital Riku please…" He spoke with difficulty, slowly moving himself to stand.

I nodded without a second thought and five minutes later I was driving him to St Zachary's Memorial.

* * *

_To be continued..._

**_-BDP-_**


	9. Until death do us part

_**Wow! Has it been that long already? Hehe, sorry...**_

**_Enjoy!_**

_**

* * *

**_

8. Until death do us part

* * *

New Xillion City, spring 2004

Thusday morning, 4.36 am

I remember how hard it had been raining that night as I carried Sora into the emergencies of the hospital. He had passed out in the car when we were only halfway. His face was dangerously pale by the time we entered the building and he was barely breathing.

The receptionist behind his counter only shot us one glance and immediately started calling for assistance, seeing Sora's state in my arms.

It didn't take long before a group of hospital staff arrived with a bed and medical equipment. Sora was put on the bed, still unconscious and examined quickly.

"Low blood pressure; 90/40. Normal eye pupils." The head doctor rapidly spoke, now listening to Sora's breathing.

"Petechia on his right hand and swollen lymph nodes." One of the infirmaries said, holding Sora's right hand in hers. I got to see the red spots she was talking about briefly before the doctor said they would take him to oncology for an x-ray.

I frowned and wanted to follow them, knowing that oncology had something to do with tumours and cancer. "What's wrong with him?" I asked repeatedly, but no one wanted to answer me as they rushed Sora to oncology on the 3rd floor, leaving me behind as I was forced to stay out of their way.

I spent the next 2 hours waiting outside the intensive care they had taken him into, all possible scenarios running through my head, each one worse than the other. I couldn't sit still, wondering if this had anything to do with what we did, and that if it had, that this was going to be my entire fault… I had failed once again to protect him, I let this happen…

"Riku, where is he?"

My head shot up and I saw Cloud and Leon standing next to me. "What happened?" Cloud asked, his worry coming through his words forcefully and making me feel even guiltier.

"I woke up this morning from a nightmare and Sora came to comfort me about it. I don't know what happened after that; he suddenly started to pale and cried out in pain, asking me to take him to a hospital. Halfway here, he blacked out. I've been here for two hours now…"

"Did they tell you what's wrong with him?" Leon whispered, sitting himself next to me.

"No," I said in exasperation, "I've been sitting here worrying ever since they took him in. I don't know what I would do if…" I didn't finish my sentence, not wanting to even think about the possible ending.

"Did he tell you anything about—I mean, before…?" Cloud inquired and I gave him a questioning look. I was suddenly thinking about what Sora whispered as he doubled over in pain.

_"Why now…?"_

Sora had known that this was going to happen... And I suspected that Cloud knew what was wrong with him, by the way he had hastily rephrased his sentence.

"You know why he's ill…" I whispered slowly, looking at him suspiciously. He didn't answer and I could feel an untamed rage boiling up inside of me; everyone knew about Sora's condition apparently, but me. Didn't they know how much he means to me!

Cloud bent his head and closed his eyes, "If he didn't tell you, then I shouldn't be the one to give it away."

I was angry now, not believing this. I had spent two hours waiting and he still wasn't going to tell me!

"How can you still stand there and not fucking tell me what's going on! For all I know, Sora could be dying in there and you here know what's wrong with him, but not willing to fucking tell me!"

I felt Leon's hands pulling me back down in my chair; I didn't even realise that I had taken a step closer to the blonde, ready to strike him with my clenched right fist. I violently freed myself from Leon's grip, feeling such anger that I barely knew what I was doing anymore. I took a few steps, not wanting to have anything to deal with Cloud, just because he was keeping some very important information on Sora from me. But then, another thought crossed my mind and I stopped dead in my tracks.

_Why didn't Sora tell me?_

"Masako Riku?" A voice from behind me suddenly said.

I spun around and ran over to the blonde nurse standing by the doors of the intensive care.

"Yes! What's wrong with him? Can I see him? Is he okay?"

She smiled serenely, "He's awake, and he asked for you. Please follow me."

I followed her to a room at the end of the corridor where Sora was lying in a bed, wired to different apparatus. I didn't know exactly what I had expected to see, but this sight was, simply put… horrifying.

He was sickeningly pale; his mouth was covered by a mask providing him oxygen, his breathing shallow and raspy and his forehead glistening with sweat.

"You have ten minutes." The woman behind me whispered before exiting and closing the door.

The soft beeping sound of the pulse oximeter and his breathing were the only sounds in the room as I approached him. He seemed to be asleep.

I sat myself next to him and watched him, not knowing if it was a good idea to wake him up.

"I'm not going to die if you just touch me and I'm not contagious you know…" He hoarsely whispered underneath his mask, his eyes still closed.

I felt tears run down my face then, as I took his left hand in mine carefully, fearing he'd break and leave me again. I was so frightened.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at me with a small comforting smile, "Riku…"

"No…" I whimpered, refusing to look up at him because of the shame I felt towards him. I was supposed to protect him! And there I was, crying like a child because I was afraid. He looked so fragile…

"Baby, look at me." He whispered softly, "Please."

I raised my eyes up to him reluctantly and he smiled tenderly, cupping my face with his right hand.

"This is not your fault." Sora said, "It's mine."

I frowned slightly, "Your being ill is your fault—?"

"The reason why you're feeling guilty about this isn't your fault." He corrected me. "It's mine."

I frowned in confusion and he just smiled again, averting his eyes sadly and taking off his breathing mask.

"Did you call uncle Cloud?"

I nodded.

"Did he tell you the true reason for why I'm here?"

"No, he wouldn't tell me." I scowled, "He was making such a big deal about it, telling me you were keeping something secret or—"

"I have leukaemia."

"—something like—What…?" I heard myself whisper. "S-Sora…?"

Did I hear it correctly?

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier…" Sora sadly whispered, closing his eyes, "I didn't know how you'd react."

"Leukaemia…?" I stupidly echoed, not wanting to believe anything of this.

He simply nodded and sighed, "Chronic myeloid leukaemia… Ever since I was a child…"

"B-but…"

No! I didn't want to believe it!

"Why? Why! We just found each other again!" I whimpered, holding his face in my hands now. "We were supposed to… this time we…" I ended up crying, my words drowning in my tears.

"I know it's hard…" Sora slowly whispered, starters of tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. "And I know that the time I have left maybe isn't much, but I need you to accept this, Riku, please… If you really—"

I looked up at him, stubbornly shaking my head, not wanting to hear it. Because if I did, it would mean that this really was happening.

Sora was slowly dying.

And there was no way of stopping it.

It was his soft series of sobs that made me realise fully what was happening and that he needed me to be strong for him and support him.

"Sora…" I whimpered, taking control over my own emotions, "No, please…"

His whole frame was shaking as he wept and I suddenly realised that I hadn't seen him cry like this before… He seemed so… broken down, so desolated…

I made him look at me, my eyes looking into his, not wanting to see those glimpses of despair in them anymore. He couldn't give up because of me. "Please stop crying, Sora… I'm sorry…" I wiped away the tears rolling down his face, "I didn't mean to…"

"Riku…" He embraced me, "I'm scared, but it's easier now that I have you… Please, I—"

"I won't leave you," I whispered, "I want to spent whatever time is left for us with you. I love you, Sora."

"I love you too, Riku." He sobbed in relief, holding me tighter. I could feel his heart anxiously beat against my chest, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you." He kept whimpering, his warm tears falling on the shoulder of my jacket and his hands spastically wrinkling the fabric in between his fingers. I never felt his love come through so strongly to me than back then. Never did I imagine love this intense to exist.

"As long as you'll wait for me at the other side, I won't leave you and you won't be alone."

He seemed to calm down a bit and I held him to me like that for a few minutes until I couldn't hear him sobbing anymore. As I disengaged our embrace I found him sleeping in my arms; his emotional outburst had taken the last of his strength. I laid him back on his pillow and put his breathing mask back on his face before bending over and kissing his forehead softly.

"I'll take care of you, Sora…" I softly spoke as I watched his resting face, "It's only going to be you and me... Until the end of times."

* * *

New Xillion City, summer 2004

**Saturday afternoon, 1. 54 pm**

"Surprise!"

Sora gasped as the door to our apartment revealed a crowd of people standing behind it, throwing confetti in the air merrily.

I walked up behind him with a smile and ushered him inside so I could close the door.

"You guys!" Sora squeaked, his face growing red with embarrassment. A woman with long wavy honey brown hair walked up to him and they fell into each other's arms. "Mom!"

I learned to know his family during the long hours spent by his side in his hospital room and the numerous visits he received from friends and relatives. Kamiko, Sora's mother had proven herself to be a source of support for both Sora and me, and became like a second mother to me.

All the guests laughed and he then turned to me with an accusing stare, "You!"

I gave him an innocent shrug and he threw his arms around me whispering his thanks. "Welcome back, babe."

Kairi and I had decided to throw a welcome back party for Sora after his three month stay at the hospital. In those last weeks that had passed, many changes had occurred, some good, other bad, depending on how you wanted to look at it.

Kairi was now involved with none other than Sephiroth Nobuhiro. Talking about frickin' coincidences… apparently they met on that night she went out on that blind date… I of course had lashed out at her and demanded for her to break off the relationship, yet soon came to realise that the bastard was really making her happy and that, in the end, that had been all I had ever asked for her to be. She moved out of my apartment 2 weeks ago and lived with him in his condo on Coliseum Street on the western side of the city.

I let her go, not only so she could follow her heart, but also because I knew she needed the space after what happened to her father and his company.

Mr Kuro, her father, left the city 2 months ago after his company had been suspected of fraudulent activity. Apparently, the new cell phone he had invented could do more than just read it's proprietor's fingerprint, but also had a very sophisticated tracking system that gave him access to the client's personal data. It was never known what exactly what he had intended to do with the information. Yet his flight spoke against him in many ways.

Cloud had prohibited me from doing Mr Kuro's campaign for his new mobile even before his true intentions were out and I'm happy I did what he told me to. Ever since that affair I never questioned anything when Cloud made me do something.

Almost a month ago, I got to hear that one of the biggest modelling agencies in the world had asked for me to represent one of their male models… My work on the Von Aglio fashion show had impressed quite a few and made my name a rather known one, my face popping up in almost every fashion/woman/cosmetic/gay –magazine I could think of. I hadn't decided what I would do yet, because just a week after that news, Cloud came to tell me that the pictures Sora had taken for the magazine a while ago had been noticed and that some important people were starting to get interested in his work. I didn't tell Sora yet, because I wanted to keep it as a surprise for him for when we would be alone.

Our relationship had grown tremendously over those few months and I was more convinced than ever that I couldn't live my life without Sora in it.

Yet on the other hand, I knew that we both had dreams and aspirations we wanted to follow and right now, those were knocking on our door.

Sora's health was not in immediate danger anymore, but the fright he had procured me that night wasn't one I wanted to experience any time soon. I wanted to take care of him, support him along the way and there was only one way I could think of to do that efficiently.

I watched with a soft smile how Sora talked with his acquaintances, vividly explaining something and making everyone laugh. His life-force seemed to be more alive then ever and his renewed cheerfulness was illuminating the whole room.

I silently waited for him to come to me as the afternoon passed and turned into evening and most of the guests left.

"Riku, you've been sitting on that couch almost all day! Come and dance with me!"

I looked up at him and took his right hand in mine. He was absolutely beaming with happiness and I couldn't help but get infected.

He giggled and made a spin, moving his body to the soft reggae tune that was playing. I watched him dance around me before I took him by his hips as he stood in front of me again and held him close, sensually making our bodies move to the music.

"It feels so good to be back in your arms." He whispered against my right shoulder, "It feels good to be safe again."

I kissed his forehead and held him closer against me. It indeed felt good, even more than good; it felt heavenly.

**

* * *

11.49 pm**

An expectant smile was plastered on his face as I entered our room, his left leg crossed over his right and his naked foot bouncing up and down coyly as he sat on the end of our bed.

Kairi, Sephiroth and his mother just left and the house was empty except for him and me.

I watched him from my position against the now closed door and returned his smile with a smirk as he slowly raised his hands up to his chest to unbutton his shirt. His period of illness had thinned him a little, but it hadn't affected the gracious lines of his body. He looked just as appealing as he did three months ago, maybe even more. He still aroused all of my senses.

"Dr Dhillon said we can have sex… as long as we use plenty of lubrication…" He slowly whispered, crawling backwards up the bed and nestling in its centre.

I bit my lower lip, watching how he unbuttoned his jeans, "I'm glad she said that… those were three pretty long months…"

Sora giggled as he rested his body weight on his elbows, "Yeah, they were…" He lay down, tilted his hips upwards and slowly pushed his jeans down, "Even when you spent the night, I could tell it was becoming pretty frustrating…"

I was already taking off my shoes and t-shirt while he was talking, not caring if I seemed impatient; he had said the magical words: We. Can. Have. Sex.

He bit his lower lip and giggled some more as I jumped on the bed, "Tired of waiting?"

"You can't even imagine…" I groaned back, now on top of him and catching his lips with mine in an eager kiss. The next moment his jeans were flying across the room and landing on my desk.

He was smiling up at me, brushing my hair falling in between us behind my ears. I kissed him softly on his inviting lips and brushed his the tip of my nose against his, endlessly grateful that he was lying there beneath me, loving me as much as I loved him.

We made love, tenderly and passionately for hours until he fell on top of me breathless and sweaty, the afterglow shining off of him.

I held him close, kissing his forehead repeatedly and feeling his smile of happiness against my chest.

"I need to tell you something." I softly whispered, staring at the ceiling pensively. A sensual purr came from the mass of hair on my chest and I chuckled. "But first let me congratulate you on your outstanding performance of earlier. I mean, waaw…"

He giggled and pressed a kiss against my skin, "Why thank you, you weren't that bad yourself."

We both laughed and he looked up, bent down and pressed his lips against mine in a loving kiss.

"Now before you get all horny on me again…" I softly spoke with a smirk, feeling him nuzzling and kissing my throat enticingly, "I need to tell you something important."

He pulled back reluctantly with a grin. "What is it?"

"Remember the last Von Aglio photo shoot? The swimwear one?"

He winced, "I screwed up, didn't I?"

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, trying my best to hold back my growing grin, "No actually you did pretty well."

Sora looked at me suspiciously from the corner of his right eye, "Ok…? What are you not telling me?"

"Oh nothing…" I shrugged, still not looking at him, "It's just that Cloud asked me to give you this and for you to call the number on it." I reached over to my bed side table and took a card that was lying on it, handing it over to him.

He frowned and read the card.

"Oh my god."

I chuckled, "Is that what it says? Did I give you the wrong one?"

"Riku!" He breathed out in astonishment.

I could barely maintain my laughter after that, "Cloud said you should give them a call."

"It says _'Rubens&Rubenz'_" Was all he could say after a while, still flabbergasted by the news.

"Yes, babe." I laughed, "Give them a call."

"Rubens and Rubenz… I—" He whispered, taking hold of his face in disbelieve. "How is this—They're like the biggest photography association in the world—I … Call them!" He looked so confused I couldn't help but think of it as utterly cute.

"You know that action you do when you pick up the receiver of that machine next to the bed and start dialling the number on that card you're crumpling up in your hand?"

He fell silent as he opened the piece of paper in his right hand and looked at it for a long time.

"What's wrong, babe?" I softly whispered, sitting up and resting with my back against the headboard as he slid his body off mine. I watched him wrapping a part of the sheets around his hips and sitting himself on the right end of the bed. "Sora?"

He sighed and closed his eyes, "I've wanted something like this to happen for so long now…"

I smiled and scooted closer to him, moving myself so I could sit on my knees behind him. "Then what's wrong?" I kissed him on his right shoulder.

"I've also wanted to be with you for so long…" He softly spoke, turning around to face me now, "If I call them and they accept me, I would have to leave you, and I wouldn't be able to…"

"Hey," I interrupted him, "Don't do this to yourself."

"But I can't…" He started to whimper, shaking his head.

"This is your chance; you can live out your dreams…" I softly whispered, coaxing him to look up at me.

"No Riku…" He whispered in a small voice, shaking his head more fervently.

I took him in my arms again and kissed the crown of his head with a soft smile. "I have something else to tell you."

"Good news?" He sniffled and I unwillingly chuckled, holding him tighter.

I just decided to tell him. "Cristobel International has asked me to represent one of their male models."

"Cristobel International Models?" He whispered back softly and I nodded. "I know that this is great news for you and I want to be happy, but I can't…"

One, warm drop fell on my left shoulder and I knew he was crying.

"I don't want to lose you…" He softly whispered through his tears.

I simply held him tighter and rocked our body back and forth soothingly. "I don't want you to renounce on your opportunity either and I don't want to separate from you." I let go of him and wiped away his flowing tears with my thumbs as I held his face in my hands. "I don't want you to go where I can't take care of you."

He sniffled and closed his eyes, "I won't let you let that offer pass just because of me." He sternly spoke, shaking his head determinedly.

I smiled at him and brushed his hair back, admiring him and thinking of these past three months in which I've learned to not live without him. "There's so much I would do just because of you."

He started to sob and shook his head, not wanting to hear it. I needed to make him understand that he was my life, my reason for still being here, for breathing. That he was my all.

I stood up from the bed and walked over to my closet where I fished a small, black velvety cube out of a leather jacket.

He was still looking at me with those teary eyes as I sat myself down next to him on the bed.

"I love you so much, Sora…" I started, taking his hands in my left one. "I need you everyday…" I produced the black box from behind my back where I had kept it hidden with my right hand. "The thought of you not being close to me is one I cannot bear."

Those beautiful pools of sapphire grew wide as I opened the box.

"700 years ago you came and found me and gave me your love. You changed my life so much that I even died for you."

One tear rolled out of his left eye as I took his left hand. "Riku…"

"3 months ago you came back into my life and we fell in love again; the best thing that ever happened to me." I smiled gently as he sniffled and brushed his hair back with a hand and sighed.

"Sora I want to take care of you for as long as I can, I want to be with you for as long as I can." I whispered.

His tears were running freely once more as we looked into each other's eyes, although he was trying his best to hold them back.

"Remember what I told you that night in the taxi after the movie? I told you that we belonged together and that I would never let you go." I whispered to him and chuckled as he closed his eyes and nodded.

"Well, I'm not a man who breaks his word. I'm never letting you go, Sora." With that I got on one knee in front of him. Yes, in the nude, but I guess it would accentuate what I would say next to him.

He gasped in total surprise as he realized what I was doing.

"And therefore I come to you as a man, no more, no less." I softly whispered, now taking the silver ring from the box and slipping it on his left ring finger. "And I hope that you will take me as I am when I ask if you, Sora Haruki, want to marry me."

He looked at the ring on his left hand finger and covered his mouth with his trembling right one. "Oh my god… This is… Oh my god…!"

"Well? What do you say?" I softly, yet nervously asked him, locking his eyes with mine. "Will you marry me?"

* * *

_To be continued..._

**_-BDP-_**


	10. Stepping stones

_Eep! Sorry! I'm so sorry for the long wait! I simply lacked the time to update this story with my hectic way of life… argh… Gomen nasai again everyone._

_But on a side note, thank you for the many reviews I got for the last chap, they made me very happy and encouraged me to continue this. Oh by the way, this story is already **1 year old**, OMG… Lolz…_

_So then, let's pick up where we left our two love birds, shall we?_

_**-Blackdiamond Princess!**_

_**

* * *

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9. Stepping stones

* * *

New Xillion City, summer 2004

**Sunday morning, 2.41 am**

His eyes were still shimmering with tears as he blinked once, then twice before finally resting them back on my face. A trembling hand rose up to cup my left cheek and I held it against my skin, bringing it to my lips and kissing its palm lovingly while closing my eyes.

I was sure of what I was doing; I had had the time to think about it thoroughly. I wanted him by my side always.

He approached me and laid his lips on mine softly. I tasted the salty taste of his tears and the sweetness of the kiss, the smooth caress of his fingers on my face, and I wished vividly for him to grant me his presence in my life for ever because I was helplessly drowning into him. Drowning into him and I didn't want to ever resurface.

He let go of me and ran a thumb over my lips as he looked into my eyes. I couldn't be sure of what he was thinking at the time, I couldn't tell what his answer was going to be; he just kept looking at me without saying a word and with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Was that a yes?" I gently asked, biting my lower lip in suspense for his answer, a small nervous smile on my lips.

He chuckled nervously and wiped away a tear rolling down his right cheek hastily, trailing his eyes away from mine. I watched how his cheeks flared up cutely and how his smile grew into a grin. "You still need me to tell you?" He whispered and now looked at me as more tears left his eyes.

I honestly didn't know what to think; my insides felt like one puddle of nervous goo and I couldn't think of anything else than a possible 'yes' or 'no'. Now I know why most men found the proposal the most difficult part of an engagement.

He threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. "Yes! You silly!" He sobbed.

"Y-yes?" I stammered, not realising for a moment. "You say yes?" I needed the confirmation, just to make really sure he was sure so I could be sure that I wasn't dreaming.

"Yes!" He spoke again, kissing me in my neck this time and giggling.

"Oh Sora!" I breathed out in relief and wrapped my arms around him while he kept laughing. "I love you." I held his face in my hands now, still faintly shaking from all the emotions that had flooded through me just a few moments before. "I love you so much! Thank you!"

He only broke down in laughter again and took me in his arms, spilling more kisses on my head and on my hair. "You should ask me to marry you more often."

I laughed, "I don't think so, I think my heart won't survive the overdose of emotions next time…"

He giggled again and held me close. "You make me so happy, Riku…"

I looked up at him and gently brushed a stray lock of brown hair out of his eyes. "Don't think I'm only doing this because of—" I didn't want him to think that I had asked him to marry me just because of the time he hadn't left to spend with me anymore.

"Shh…" He hushed me with a finger pressed against my lips. "All I need to know is that you wouldn't have asked me if you didn't truly care about me and loved me." He whispered. "That's enough for me to know."

I took his hands in mine and kissed them while still looking at him. "You're so beautiful."

He gently smiled again and bit his lower lip. "I feel beautiful…" He looked at the silver ring glistening on his left hand finger now and pursed his lips in admiration. "It's so shiny…" He said with a grin. I laughed again and he turned his head to me. "I feel like celebrating…"

I quirked an eyebrow with an impish smile. "What did you have in mind, sexy?"

"Ooh…" He whispered, throwing his left leg over my lap so he straddled me now. "Is this one of the advantages of being engaged? You calling me 'sexy'?"

I chuckled up at him and took him by his hips, "Hmm… maybe? There are plenty more advantages tied to the pleasure of becoming my husband."

"There are even more when becoming mine…" Sora whispered against my lips with a seducing smile, his fingers creeping in between us.

I made a low sound in my throat, catching his lips with mine as he took hold of my manhood and applied gentle pressure. "You sexy little kitten…"

He purred and bent down to bite me in the crook of my right shoulder, his tongue sweeping over the skin he had put his teeth in seconds before and I shuddered at the pleasurable shock that went through me. He moaned softly, his right hand still wrapped around my erection, his warm breath playing against me, slowly driving me crazy.

Tranquilly his hand on me moved up and down, making me burry my face in the crook of his right shoulder so I wouldn't let go of the groan of desire that was threatening to tumble off my lips.

With my left hand I was holding him close to me and with my right one I followed the path that went around his waist, slowly, yet surely crawling towards his rear that was still hidden underneath the covers he had wrapped around his hips earlier but that now hung loosely on his back. I slid the fabric gently aside and put my hand in between, caressing the smooth and soft skin there and cupping one cheek and squeezing his warm flesh longingly.

He arched and our erections touched, making it hard for me to keep any sound from escaping my mouth. He then moaned in my throat, his forehead resting against my right shoulder. My hand on his bottom then travelled further, mimicking the same movements from earlier on the other lobe, causing the same reaction.

Sora was breathing more heavily now, moaning and whimpering softly on my skin, adding more virtue to his motions of pressure and release on my manhood while moving his butt cheeks enticingly against my hand.

One finger slipped in between his lobes and I felt him tremble slightly against me, moaning my name. "Don't tease…" He breathed throatily, applying a slightly opened kiss underneath my right ear, sending more chills down my spine and right into my crotch, making it twitch and in a result, making him chuckle deep in his throat.

God he was so sexy.

"You're the one teasing." I murmured back, taking his right ear lobe in between my lips to suckle on it. My index was now drawing small circles around his small entrance and he was pushing back against it almost desperately.

"No, you are…" He moaned and I chuckled.

He moved his head away from my shoulders and kissed me hungrily on my lips, sending the both of us on the bed. "You want to be on top? Again?"

He laughed as he sat up and placed his hands on my hips for balance. "I like this spot." He giggled and wiggled his hips making me bite back a groan at the friction caused.

"I can't guarantee that you'll keep that spot for very long." I throatily whispered, my hands moving to take hold of his hips, coaxing him to put his body in the right position on top of me. I watched as his small upper front teeth dug themselves into his lower lip, catching but a small stroke of flesh in between them, before he letting go, his eyes still hungrily on mine. He then brought his hands flatly up his body, caressing himself, sliding them up over his chest and all the way up into his hair before arching back a little, seemingly enjoying the sensation of my eyes ravishing him as I mentally pounded myself into his tight little body over and over again.

He had given me a great gift, one I knew I had been searching for ever since I lost my virginity so many years ago; the real, deep and durable feeling of really good sex. No, no joke here, I'm being serious. With Sora I could be myself, I could let myself go completely and he would love it. Enjoy it. Drink from the pleasure eagerly and still ask for more.

He would take me to unknown heights, lift me so high and let me fall back into his welcoming and loving arms over and over again. This is going to sound so cliché, but I finally knew what love really meant. That feeling deep in your guts that made you sick when you didn't see the person you loved or the way your heart just beat faster when he laughed, or even when he simply looked at you. It was a constant urge that continuously needed to be satisfied with a touch, a kiss or a meaningful look, a desire to be with that person every single minute of the day, for him to be the first person you see in the morning and the last in the evening. It was the realisation that this person was the one, that he would share your life, your joy and your pain no matter what until that day when life would end and only the memories of this magical feeling you had shared would remain. I didn't need to be convinced that love transcended death; our love was the perfect proof of that.

It would go on for ever.

I sat up and pulled his lips to mine in another hungry kiss, feeling how his hands wrapped around my shoulders and how he positioned himself on me.

"Can we now?" he impatiently breathed against my lips.

**_(Ya'll know the drill. For the lemon, please go to my bio-page. Thank you.)_**

* * *

New Xillion City, autumn/winter 2004

**Friday evening, 6. 21 pm**

The lights on the other side of the river were starting to light up one by one, the sun barely gone underneath the horizon and already artificially replaced as the city prepared itself for the bustling night that was ahead.

I watched the many different neon lights flickering up in the street beneath me, people in big coats and scarves walking by the many stores and shop windows thinking no doubt about the holidays up ahead. It wouldn't be long before snow would start falling from the skies, making everything look like a postcard scenery.

A smile crossed my features as I spotted one particular white scarf and a big mass of spiky, sandy brown hair hastily crossing the street in front of the building. I turned away from the window and re-arranged the curtains that hung in front of it before glancing at the clock above the TV and noticing that he was running a little late. There probably was a lot of traffic on his way home from the magazine.

I walked over to our bathroom to go do my hair. He would call when he would enter the house.

I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help the smile that started to grow on my lips. Sora and I were now engaged for 4 months and the wedding was for next week. The butterflies that had made of my stomach their permanent living space were fluttering inside of me again and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't ignore the growing nervous feeling in me. Of course, every groom to be felt like this before taking the big step, I was no different. Maybe only in the fact that I was marrying another man. Well, what were details, anyway?

"Riku, I'm home!" I heard Sora call before the door fell shut.

"In the bathroom, babe." I called back, taking the small pot of hair wax from one of the shelves in front of me.

"I'm sorry I'm late." He whispered and I turned to kiss him as he stood behind me. "There was a monstrous traffic jam on Ohalland and St. John's."

"It's alright, we still got some time, but we'll have to hurry a little." I whispered back, turning around again to continue doing my hair. He went into our bedroom and I heard him opening his suitcase we packed together yesterday.

"Leon called earlier." I informed him, deciding to wear my hair in a ponytail after all. "Said that Cloud had gotten hold of that photographer for the pictures and that she'd come to Destiny City the day before the wedding."

"He did? Oh my god, that's so great." Sora walked back into the bathroom, holding a silver necklace with a silver pendant in the form of a crown out to me. He then placed himself in front of me, facing the mirror and I laid the necklace around his neck while he held his hair up a little. Our eyes met in the mirror and he smiled, his right hand touching the small crown on his chest.

I had given him the pendant for his birthday 2 months ago so he could put the bare silver necklace he always wore to its value. "I've always searched for a pendant just like this."

"You told me that." I smiled, brushing my lips against his left cheek. "It suits you, because you are a king, you know?" I pressed a kiss on his soft skin. "You're the king of my heart."

He turned to face me and smiled. "Tell me again why I can't marry you right away?"

I chuckled. "Because we agreed to hold the ceremony with all our friends and beloved ones." I tapped my right index on the tip of his nose. "And because we already sent the invitations a month ago."

He pouted a little, making me chuckle again. "It's becoming more and more difficult to wait with each passing day. I wish we were there already."

"We will be soon enough." I softly spoke back, kissing his lips and tucking a strand of his hair behind an ear. "Soon you'll be my husband, Mr Sora Haruki-Masako."

He closed his eyes and smiled, letting me press another kiss on his forehead. "Yes, very soon, Mr Riku Haruki-Masako."

I took him into an embrace, closing my eyes so I could feel his heart beating against my chest. "I love you, Sora."

"I love you too, mister. So much." He whispered back, his hold on me tightening before we let go of each other. "And not that I don't love these corny moments with you, but we got a plane to catch." He then said excitedly with a grin.

I laughed and nodded. "You're right. Are you all packed?"

"Yup." He said, still grinning. "Are you?"

"Just need to pack my wax and facial supplies." I answered back, taking the said articles from the shelves underneath the mirror while he walked to the door.

He rolled his eyes mockingly and shook his head with a cocky smile. "Top models."

"What 'Top models'!" I retorted with a chuckle. "You mean photographers! Who would take a picture of me if I was ugly?" I walked out of the small room and turned off the light, closing the door before walking into our room and kneeling next to my grey rolling suitcase at the end of our bed. I put all the products in a small bag and added it to the other packed stuff.

Sora laughed, sitting on the bed and holding the receiver of the phone in his left hand. "Well, I wouldn't that's for sure, but I bet your mother would."

My mouth fell open at that blunt answer, but I soon started to chuckle because it held a little bit of truth in it. "Are you talking as the photographer or is this my Sora talking?" I asked throwing rolled up socks to his head. The projectile hit him square on his forehead and he fell over on the bed laughing, still holding the phone.

"As the professional photographer and as myself." He chuckled.

I grunted with a smile and moved to retrieve my rolled up socks from behind the bed. "Just call that damn taxi."

* * *

Destiny Islands, winter2004

**Friday night, 9. 15 pm, local time**

The sound of waves rolling onto the beach created the background music for the family dinner we held on the terrace of the Haruki's second residence, a large villa on a private island in the Destiny Islands Archipelago.

Cloud, Leon, our parents, Kairi, Sephiroth, Sora's friends, Wakka and Tidus and their respective partners; Lulu and Yuna, and my best friends Axel and Roxas were all tilting their champagne glasses up to both Sora and me, all wishing us the best in the future.

I looked at Sora with a grant smile and made him stand up alongside of me, taking his hand. He looked absolutely gorgeous in his white ¾ pants and sleeveless white top. I wanted to show him to the world and shout at the top of my lungs that he was mine and that I loved him above everything.

He was slightly blushing, the tan he had gotten from the constant sun on the islands we had received since our arrival a week ago adding even more to his natural beauty. His hair had gotten a few tints lighter now because of the sun and he even had a few streaks of blond. I never thought that anyone could become even more beautiful than one already was without make up. He was true eye candy and I my eyes dwelled on him more than usual. It was like he was glowing all the time, like his tanned skin had this very thin layer of gold stuck to it.

He was simply breathtaking.

"Ok, umm…" I started, chuckling nervously as I turned to face all the guests sitting the long the table. "Sora and I would like to thank you for answering at our invitation, we're really glad you're here. We really wanted to share our happiness with all of you because you've all contributed to what Sora and I are today."

A few acknowledging murmurs came from the group of people and I looked at Sora again, who gave my hand a light encouraging squeeze.

I took my glass of champagne from the table and rose it up in the air towards Cloud, Leon, Sephiroth and my friends. I saw Sora raise his glass towards them too. "A big thank you goes out to you guys, you've helped me out in so many ways and helped me grow into the man I now am. I will be for ever grateful for all of the support and encouragement you've provided me along the years."

They nodded in acknowledgement and rose their glasses in turn. Next, I turned to Kairi. She started to smile as she saw me looking at her and I rose my glass to her. "Kairi."

She smiled back. "Riku."

I chuckled. "What would I ever have done without your guarding wings and caring gestures? How can I ever repay you for all the things you've done for me and Sora?" I said, watching how she closed her eyes and bent her head with a grin. "You're like my baby sister, one I want to look after and take care of, make sure she's okay. I'm glad that, even after everything you and I have been through, you made a place for me in your heart. I know I'll carry you in my heart, supporting you in every decision you'll make. You're a true dame, in every grand sense of the word, and I'll love you for ever."

She smiled, even though I could see the starters of tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes. She rose her glass in turn and blew me a kiss. I bent my head in acknowledgement and finally turned to my parents.

"Mum, dad…" I started, seeing their cheerful faces looking expectantly up at me. My mother had tears in her eyes as my father took hold of her left hand. "On the day that I moved away from home, I remember you telling me that no matter what happened while I was in the city that you'd always be there for me. I guess, I was just lucky to have parents as understanding as you guys. We all know how much of a pain in the ass I can be at times, yet I always found the door to our house open and welcoming. You guys were always there." I paused and smiled at them." Your support and love have helped me become what I am today. You guys have done a great job so far, I'm a happy young man." I smiled again and they both chuckled. "I've had everything a child could have got asked for while growing up, plus two slightly work-obsessed parents." I chuckled and everyone laughed. "And yet, you've always been ready to listen to my problems, I could always confide in you. I'm grateful you've accepted the way I am now and given me your blessing for what I feel for this young man standing here beside me." I laid my eyes on Sora, only to find his eyes already looking at me with pride. I looked at my parents again, seeing the same pride in their eyes. I smiled and raised my glass to them and Sora did the same. "You are the foundation of my life and more than ever I realise the importance of your presence in my life. And I guess that what I mean to say is that I love you guys, and that I thank you for the man I am today, even though I haven't always met up to your expectations."

They both nodded in recognition with large smiles on their faces and I felt like I was standing on top of the world.

"I want to thank you too, Ryoishi and Michiko, for accepting me in your family through your son and for the support you've given me ever since we first met." Sora humbly whispered, bending his head slightly. I saw my mother smile tenderly at that and wink at me when our eyes met. I think it was the first time in years my mother made me blush then.

Sora then raised his glass. "Well, I'm not going to be as long as Riku here." He scratched the back of his head slightly with a nervous chuckle. "He has almost said everything, but I just would like to add a thank you to my best friends, Wakka and Tidus for their support and for convincing me to go find my luck in the city. As you can see, I did find my luck." He chuckled again and Wakka and Tidus grinned at him. "You guys are the best and you'll always be my dearest of friends."

He then turned to Cloud and Leon and bit his lower lip, smiling brightly at the couple. "Uncle Cloud and Leon. I… wow, I don't even know where to start." He sniffled a little and chuckled. "You've both done so much for me.

Uncle Cloud, you were there for me when I found out that I liked boys more than girls, I will never forget the many encouraging words you spoke to me when I felt like the weight of the world was falling on my shoulders. You've been a source of inspiration for me for so long now, an example for me to follow. I thank the both of you so much for just being who you are."

I raised my glass to the both of them in time with Sora before he turned to face his mother sitting next to my parents. "Mom."

"You're doing very well, sweetie." Kamiko encouraged, taking her son's left hand in her right one.

Sora nodded, on the verge of tears. "I know how hard you've had it ever since dad died, I know how much you wanted for me to be happy, and how much you wanted for me to follow my dreams, no matter what my condition was. I'm so glad I didn't give up all of those times I felt like it, just because I wanted to see your smiling face, wanted to make you proud." Kamiko wiped away a few tears from her cheeks, nodding. "I hope that I am making you proud, mom. I love you so much."

"I love you too, sweetheart. You're making me so proud." She whispered back with a touched smile.

"I would suggest you save your happy tears for tomorrow." Cloud commented, chuckling softly.

Sora chuckled back, nodding, and I reached out to brush away the tears that had found their way down his face. He smiled up at me and I took him in my arms, kissing the crown of his head.

Sora then took my right hand in his left one and led me off the terrace and on the beach. I followed him, knowing that the others would understand that we wanted some time alone.

The moon shone brightly up in the nocturnal sky, casting a silver streak on the surface of the sea.

We walked the long the shoreline, away from the house, hip to hip, not saying anything and just enjoying the sound of the crashing waves on the beach and letting the welcome breeze play with our hair, the imprints of our naked feet in the wet sands getting steadily erased as the waves continuously washed over them.

We sat ourselves at the end of the small wooden dock, our bare feet dangling above the shallow waters of the ocean before us, our eyes gazing dreamingly up at the many starts filling the darkening skies.

A soft breeze blew over us as I leant back and my hands and closed my eyes. I remember thinking how nice it would have got been to grow up on this island, spending days in the warm sun and hours playing in the refreshing waters of the sea.

I had always loved the sea and the liberating feelings it evoked inside of me. My mother used to tell me how inseparable I was from the swimming pools when I was a little kid and how I always loved to swim. Even today, swimming is what I love doing most out of all sports.

My thoughts dwelled on the idea of maybe moving to the Destiny Islands, but I knew that it would be an impossible option for the both of us; because since we both had accepted the jobs offered to us, we were tied to New Xillion. I really thought it was a shame then that I had seen the place where Sora had grown up, but I figured that for holidays and vacations we could always come and pay his mother and family a visit, seen as how Destiny City, the capital, was only three hours away by plane.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Sora whispered softly, bringing me out of my thoughts, his eyes still fixed on the star filled sky. His face then turned towards me and I smiled at him, wondering how he had known that my mind had been wandering off.

"I was thinking about how beautiful it is here and about how much I'd like to come back to spend holidays here."

"That'd be wonderful." He said, smiling back.

I nodded. "Then you wouldn't feel too much separated from your mother and friends."

He made an agreeing sound and looked up at the sky again. "Yeah…"

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked in turn, catching the growing smile on his lips.

He chuckled soundlessly and leant back on his elbows, turning his head to me. "Have you had any… dreams lately?" He asked, giving me a hesitant, yet questioning look.

I frowned slightly, trying to remember the last time I had 'dreamt', but soon realised that the last time I had taken a trip to the past had been on the night he had been taken into the hospital. "No, not since that night…"

"Yeah, me neither." He whispered back. "Do you think that it means that… we're okay?"

I looked at him for a long moment, thinking about what he said. There was something weird about it all now that he had mentioned it. Not that I wasn't happy to be rid of these strange flash back dreams, but I wouldn't forget about what Sora had said about them. He once told me that these dreams weren't just giving us a peak of what happened in a previous life, but that they were meant to warn us, to keep history from repeating itself. Yet more than half a year had passed now and nothing had happened to us and the dreams had stopped. Did this mean that we were clear?

I ran my hands through his hair comfortingly, brushing the few stray locks out of his face. "We're more than okay now, aren't we? That's what matters, right?"

He smiled and nodded. "Right."

"And if anything was to happen it would have to wait until after the wedding as long as we're aright, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." I smiled. "But just for the record, nothing will happen. I won't let it."

"You can never be sure, baby." He whispered, moving himself to crawl over me, his legs straddling my hips and his arms moving around waist, his head resting against my chest.

"No seriously. Nothing will happen." I insisted, balancing myself on my left arm so it now supported both our weights as my right one ran through his hair. "We're getting married for crying out loud, do you want something to happen?" I jokingly added.

"As a matter as a fact, I do." He whispered in an almost offended way, now sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest.

I blinked a few times, not understanding why he was saying something like this for all of a sudden. That is, until he started grinning.

"Riku, you're such a dork! I mean that I want something to happen between us tomorrow!" He giggled, falling against me again and sending us both on the wooden surface.

He was still laughing as he sat there on top of me. "You seriously had me doubting for a second there."

"I know I did." He snickered, kissing me on my lips. "I got you, babe."

"Now you're going to break into a song too?"

He laughed and actually started to sing.

"Stop! Please, it's horrible!" I whispered with a grimace on my face, bringing my fingers into my ears. "Why are you doing this to me?"

He giggled and swatted my arm. "That's mean!"

"You're the one who's mean! Making me hear that horrible song!" I retorted, chuckling at the growing pout on his face.

"You big meanie!"

"Ok, is that your final answer?" I asked him, taking him by his shoulders and pulling him closer to me.

"Yes!" He said decidedly, giving a curt nod. "You're mean!"

"Ok, then let me show you how mean I can get." I planted quick kisses on his lips, altering the angles slightly while I let go of his shoulders and let my hands creep under his white top.

He giggled and tried to stop my hands from going up his smooth back further. "We're not supposed to consummate our love the night before the wedding."

"Who made up that stupid rule?" I murmured back, now kissing one reddening cheek.

"I don't know…" He kissed me back and placed my hands on his hips as he sat up and slightly moved them back and forth against me.

"Probably just to get us hornier for after the wedding…" I replied, sitting up in turn and nipping at the sensitive skin of his throat right underneath his jaw line, making him gasp.

"Baby… I don't think we should…" He then mumbled, arching his neck, my lips still planting soft kisses, my teeth slightly grazing against him.

"Then stop…" I whispered in between kisses.

He moaned slightly and his hands pressed against the back of my head, pressing me closer. "Why don't you stop first…?"

I chuckled. "Because I can't and I don't want to…"

I felt him tugging at the back of my blue shirt and it soon slid over my head, leaving me topless. "Me neither…" He breathed and our lips met in devouring kiss, my hands running up into his hair, his moans vibrating against our lips, our clothes falling all around us.

I remember Sora singing 'Sex on the beach' afterwards, making me laugh in the pale moonlight.

The lights of the beach house in the distance were still on and we put our clothes back on before walking back, hand in hand.

* * *

_Hoax, winter 1254_

_Cold was the night, bitter was the solitude that had crept into his heart._

_Melancholy had taken the place of grief now; despair now the only thing left, his only companion during the lonely days and nights following the loss of his other half. Everything was but a memory now, those past moments of joy and bliss but a delusion._

_He wouldn't be coming back because nothing could bring him back. Never would it be the same anymore. Fate had given and taken, but returned nevermore. _

_In the comfortable confines of the castle his heart had grown rigid, the endless moments now seeming meaningless and futile. A dark shadow now loomed over his life, killing his dying hope and shattering the remains of his wishful existence like broken glass._

_The torment and pain had nestled in his heart and he knew that never again he would rest, for he also knew that for the ache he felt no cure had ever been found._

_Even the light that had once brought a small point of comfort in the darkness that had consumed his heart now hurt his restless eyes, the sole candle in his study procuring him no more solace against the ever growing night that kept creeping deeper and deeper inside of him, slowly feeding on his dying heart, taking control of his body._

_Goodbye had always been such a hard thing to do, yet it surprised him how easily he walked over to his desk and to what was waiting there for him.The cold blade glistened in the little light, calling him, beguiling him closer._

_A drop of blood fell on the letter placed readily on the study, the sharpness of the small blade now confirmed, and the finality of it all now clear._

_Cold was the night, bitter his solitude. Yet warm was his smile and red his blood as it spilled on his study room floor…

* * *

_

**Saturday morning, 3.48 am**

Cold sweat was running down my spine, my eyes wide open as I gasped for air. It was still dark outside and the moon was shining into my bed room. One of my hands instinctively reached for the covers next to me, only to remember that Sora was sleeping in a separate room because of those stupid marital traditions… I sighed and breathed in slowly, trying to calm my heart that was beating like mad and the dizziness that had taken over in my head.

I needed to know if Sora was alright.

My hands were trembling as I reached for my cell phone lying on my bed-side cabinet where I had left it the night before and read 3.50 am. I speed-dialled Sora's number and a few seconds later I got a very sleepy Sora on the other side of the line. I breathed out in relief.

_"Mmbaby…? Iz that you…? Wha'z wrong?"_

I sighed and smiled softly. "I couldn't stop thinking about you and I wanted to hear your voice…"

_"That's so sweet…"_

"So I'm just going to let you sleep now and see you tomorrow…"

_"'Kay… Love you."_

"Love you too, very, very much. Sleep well, kitten."

I heard him smile. _"You too, Riku…"_

I hung up and placed the phone back on the cabinet.

Why this dream?

Why now of all times?

* * *

_To be continued…_

_**-BDP-**_


	11. Coming full circle

_So here we finally are; the end of this story._

_I've been so reluctant to writing this chapter, even though it has been in my mind ever since I developed the plot for this story, simply because I've loved diving into Riku's head and write down what he felt. It was my first time writing in a personal perspective and I do hope I did well._

_I won't deny and say that I'm glad this project finally did come to an end and that now I can focus more on the Riku/Sora cycle that I started with 'Welcome to the wonderful world of puberty'. Yes, you read correctly, a cycle. This basically means that once I've finished the epilogue for 'Aches of the heart' that there's a new story in progress following up to it._

_But that is all in a side note, I just hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did and that you'll still be happy to hear from me in the future!_

_Until then : take care everyone and write on write on!_

_**-Blackdiamond Princess!**_

**_

* * *

_**

**_10. Coming full circle_**

**_

* * *

_**

Destiny Islands, winter2004

**Wednesday afternoon, 5. 56 pm**

I had never wanted to believe that that day would come, even though the thought of it had always been in the back of my mind.

I was glad his day hadn't been ruined by rain, but that the sun shone brightly and beautifully on his final resting place. He would've wanted this day to be remembered as a sunny one, that's for sure. One that meant the beginning of a new life, away from the pain he had had to live with from the beginning.

My white rose fell on the pale surface of the coffin as the words of the celebrant faded into the sounds of the rolling waves in the distance, my memories of Sora smiling, dancing and laughing filling my mind, making my heart and soul feeling torn in two. My body was on auto-pilot, my inner feelings not showing on the surface. I didn't realise that I had been standing in front of Sora's grave longer than I intentionally had wanted to and it was the soft hand of my mother on my right shoulder that brought me back to a reality I felt less and less ready to face.

I sat myself on my chair again, my eyes never leaving him, a happy image of his smiling face burnt inside my head. I was crying internally, though nothing showed on my face. Somehow I simply blocked and nothing found its way out of me, not even a smile. I could only stare blankly at the people who gave me sympathising shoulder taps or encouraging words as the funeral ceremony came to its end.

It was like I had died with him and yet somehow kept walking around as a shell without content.

The last people were now descending the hill towards the Haruki residence giving out on the sea and I remained, wanting to spend more time with him, not wanting him to be alone in his new, lone home…

Our wedding was 4 days ago.

Perhaps the thing that hurt the most was the fact that he knew he was going to die but did not call for my help and kept me at a safe distance. He welcomed death and said goodbye to his life, goodbye to the pain and in a cruel sense… see you later to me.

I woke up alone that morning after our wedding, though the two of us had shared the same bed. All my tears had left me, my sadness inconsolable and my anger without end. I felt abandoned and completely lost, the immense pain of his passing one I had thought I would never surpass.

And yet the sun had come up every morning the days after and I slowly regained the hope I had forgotten about, strengthening my belief that one day we would meet again and renew the bonds of love and trust once more.

I looked around me now, watching how the sea calmly licked the shore with its waves, how the clouds tranquilly passed by and the branches of the large weeping willow standing next to Sora's grave waved in a soothing breeze.

He had chosen this place a long time ago he once told me, he had wanted to be able to look over the sea and the house he grew up in at the same time.

A sentiment of ease started to come over me then and I managed to smile a little, feeling better somehow. I sat myself down on my chair and reached into the pocket inside my black vest.

That morning, on his side of the bed, I had found a letter addressed to me in his handwriting, asking me to open it after the funeral.

I opened it now, finding a two page letter and a yellow paper with imprinted letters that I recognised as his will. I needed a steadying breath after that, suddenly feeling my eyes water up with tears.

_Hi Riku,_

_I guess that now that you are reading this that I'm gone, but there was something I needed and wanted to tell you. Things I know I won't have time to tell you and won't be able to tell you to preserve your current state of happiness._

_First, I need you to know that you've made me happy, so much! My life finally had meaning on the day we met. Love you have given and shown me and for that I cannot thank you enough._

_I know you'll mourn me and vow to never love someone again, but this is what I need you to do. Please, don't dwell on my death, move on._

_Yes, we loved each other, yes we've had to give each other up, but life for you goes on. I want you to live, baby. Find love again, live a happy life._

_I know this comes over as harsh and perhaps cold-hearted, but I know that the happiness you gave me can make another one happy as well. You have the gift of lighting up people's hearts, Riku. Share it with someone, pass it on._

_Second, you'll find in an annexed letter my will. I'm basically leaving everything to you and my mother. And if I could ask you for one last request; please take care of her for me, Riku. Even if she knew all of her life this was going to happen someday, she'll still need someone to work it through with. Support each other if you can and be nice to each other, I'll be watching you guys!_

_Tell uncle Cloud that I love him and that I'm sorry that I have to decline his job offer now… and wish Leon and Kairi all the best from me. _

_What else is left for me to say but that I love you? And that I always have and always will?_

_I'll never forget you and I hold you to your promise! I'll be waiting!_

_Your Sora._

_Ps: I hope we can catch a sunset on the Sea breeze Cliff sometime!_

I broke down in tears, not able to hold them back any longer. I cried like I hadn't cried in years, holding on to the letter like it was my lifeguard in the sea of tears and sorrow I was almost drowning in.

And then… then I felt something warm fall on my face and spreading over my entire body. Something comforting and reassuring at the same time. My watered eyes looked up to the horizon and they immediately overflowed once more.

…_**I hope we can catch a sunset on the Sea breeze Cliff sometime!**_

There it was, the most beautiful of sunsets, colouring the skies in a plethora of luminescent colours. It felt like I was witnessing a miracle I had never seen something so wonderful and yet so mundane at the same time. I stood and walked over to the edge of the cliff, finding it in my heart to laugh though my eyes never stopped shedding tears.

"Thank you Sora." I whispered. I had come to understand everything fully now and in a way it made part of my sadness go away.

As I watched the dying sun steadily sink into the never-ending sea I felt connected with him. I can't explain, but staring at the sun like that, it gave me a feeling of solace.

I took the rose I had laid on the coffin still standing next to the empty grave and held it out to the sea with a smile. It didn't belong on his remains; it belonged with him, out there in the infinite infinity. "Tomorrow is another day."

I threw the rose away and watched the wind carry it to the sea where it landed on its surface and drifted away gently with the current.

* * *

Destiny Islands, autumn 2056

**Tuesday evening, 7.50 pm**

He stared at the fascinated gazes of the young adolescents listening to him and smiled gently.

"Do you still love him, grandpa?" A girl with blonde hair and sea green eyes whispered, her eyes puffy and red from the tears she had shed while listening to the story.

A soft smile crept on the aged features of the old man, his eyes glistening with cherished memories as he looked at the blue ring on his left ring finger. He closed them and nodded silently. "I've always have and I always will…" He said, opening his tired eyes to look at the children gathered around his comfortable chair. "He was the love of my life." His eyes then fell on one of his grandchildren and he beckoned him closer. "So you see, Edan, if you truly love this guy, don't let anyone make you think otherwise. You might regret it for the rest of your life not knowing what you missed."

The boy with the clear grey eyes and dark brown hair gave him a thankful smile. "Do you think he's still waiting for you, grandpa Riku?"

"I am sure he is, son. My heart tells me he is." Riku hoarsely whispered with a smile. "I have been granted a long life, one filled with joys and pains, but in the end I regret nothing. I was able to meet your grandmother thanks to him and she and I truly loved each other and we got blessed with many beautiful children and even more beautiful grandchildren. My sorrow after his death had been so grant that I couldn't have done all the things I have done if he hadn't helped me. I owe him the life I've lived."

"Do you think that grandma is waiting for you as well?" Another boy resting with his arms on the left arm of the chair whispered, his great brown eyes looking at his grandfather questioningly.

Riku nodded. "I'll be seeing her too very soon, Hayden; I'm looking forward to it."

"Don't talk like that grandpa…" The blonde haired girl whimpered on the verge of tears again. "You're the best; you can't leave!"

"Oh, my sweet child, everyone has to go some time… It's the way life goes…" Riku chuckled.

"Grandpa, who was the old man?" Hayden then asked. "The man who kept telling you to watch out?"

Riku sat back at that and intertwined his fingers on his stomach, a knowing smile on his face. "It was me."

All three youngsters frowned, visibly intrigued by this new piece information.

"You see, I think I was trying to warn myself for the upcoming trials that would change my vision on life."

"How did you figure out it was you grandpa?" Edan whispered questioningly.

"That day I buried Sora."

"Did you see him again?" The girl asked.

Riku shook his head. "I've never seen him again. And I figured out why on the day I married your grandmother."

They all scooted closer to listen.

"The old man kept saying that I was to accept my fate, right?"

They all nodded.

"If I had continued to wallow in my sorrow, I would've never moved on and eventually killed myself… and started the cycle of mine's and Sora's unhappiness all over again. You see, Soryan killed himself, therefore breaking the ties he had with his fate. His fate was unfinished. Think of it as… karma."

"His leukaemia…" Edan whispered.

Riku nodded. "He learned to accept his fate and to live with his disease. I guess he had been granted only the time to meet and fall in love with me before departing from this world again. But in the short time we've loved each other and especially in the last letter he left me, I have learnt to accept my fate as well, even if it meant a life without him. In a way, he saved both our souls and guaranteed us a happy next life.

The day I married your grandmother was one of the happiest days of my life, the second most happy after Sora had gone away thirteen years before that day. I understood that if I had given up, I would've never met the wonderful woman your grandmother was and broken the promise I had made Sora."

"What did you promise him?" The blonde girl asked.

"To be happy, even without him." Riku answered, raising a hand to touch her pretty face. "To live and accept my fate. It was what my conscious had been telling me all along once I had found the connection between my dreams and my life. The tragedy of Soryan and Ryuu's story was that they both had too little faith in their love, no matter how deeply they loved each other. If Soryan had kept his faith in it, he wouldn't have killed himself. Ryuu too was at fault though; even though his initial fears had gone and he permitted his body and heart to love Soryan fully, a bit of doubt still remained. A doubt that got the better of him when he got interrogated after having been approached by his brother who told him he had seen him in bed with the future king. Only the slight suggestion of Soryan's lack of interest in him because of his royal status was enough to have his believe in him weaken. After having confessed of his deeds with the prince, he was sentenced to death, condemning the both of them and their future lives."

A silence settled in the large living room, only the sound of the rolling waves on the beach played in the back ground.

"My children… I hope you have taken a valuable lesson out of this old man's story." He said resting his smile on each of them. "Even if you feel like live is being unfair to you, never give up. Stand back on your feet and keep going on. You'll get what your heart desires most eventually." He then started to stand up, the three adolescents gathering around his rising form and helping him out of his chair.

"Thank you, Erykah…" He whispered as the girl gave him his walking cane.

"Where are you going grandpa?" Edan asked, following him to the back door and the veranda.

"Oh, to the beach to think a little." Riku said, looking at his left hand that rested on top of his right on at the end of the can. He smiled at the ring before looking up at his granddaughter again. "I'll be back in twenty minutes." And with that he left through the glass door, descending the steps giving onto the beach.

His feet retraced the steps he and Sora had made over 50 years ago the night before their wedding all the way to the small dock where they had made love under the stars. There he turned to his right and took the steps leading up Sea breeze Cliff.

The sun was starting to set by the time he arrived on top of the hill and he halted in front of the two gravestones standing there.

"I'm coming, Sora. My time here has come to an end. Look at me now; I'm all old and wrinkled." He whispered, looking at the left gravestone, smiling. "I hope I haven't made you too lonely up there? I'm sure your mother took good care of you."

A small wind blew through the naked branches of the tree, the purplish-red colour of the gathering clouds announcing a thunderous evening.

Down the hill, in the beach house, the three youngsters watched with worried eyes how the skies quickly turned grey and the sea troubled.

Yet, come morning, the only thing that would be left over from the tumultuous night would be a white rose, washing onto the shore.

* * *

Democratic Republic of Glymera, summer 2181

**Monday afternoon, 1.36 pm**

The many children of the Crescent Moon day-care came out running of the building and onto the court, all more than happy to be in the warm sun that was shining brightly up in the sky between the three silver skyscrapers of the Glymera Bank of Commerce.

Little feet hesitantly approached the blond haired boy sitting on one of the many benches of the courtyard, eating his snack all alone while the other kids were running around and playing all kinds of games and having fun.

"Uhm… My name is Soren, what is yours?"

The blond boy lifted his head up to the honey brown haired boy in front of him and then lowered his eyes sadly. "My mother told me not to talk to children I don't know."

"And if we become friends, would you talk to me then?" Soren lisped, his bright blue eyes smiling at the other boy. "I don't like seeing you alone."

The other boy looked down at his feet still with a sad look on his face. "The other kids won't play with me."

"I'll play with you! I want to be your friend." The blue eyed boy said cheerfully.

"Really?" He said with a hopeful look on his pale features, his green eyes lighting up with happiness.

"Yes, here." Soren held out a portable hologram game. "Let's play together."

"Ok. My name is Riven." Riven said, taking the game out of Soren's hands. "You're blue, I'm green."

"Hey, that's cheating, Riven, I wanted to be green!" Soren protested attempting to take the game back, but failing as the blond boy held it up to prevent him from laying a hand on it.

"Will you be my friend for ever?" Riven asked him softly, still holding the game up.

"Yes! Give it back already!" Soren jumped and took the device out of the other boy's hand. "I'm green!"

"Okay, okay…" Riven sat himself next to the brunette and watched how the image of a green car was projected out of the game and in front of them, ready to start his race, before it was the blue car's turn.

"Ow, you won!" Soren whined as the final scores came up. "Oh man, now the score is 1 to nothing."

"Come on, Soren, don't give up, let's try again." Riven whispered, placing an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "Maybe you'll beat me this time."

"Really?"

The blond nodded. "Just try."

Soren gave him a determined nod and a smile.

Thirteen years would pass before any of them would realise that on that day, it was the beginning of a new story, the start of their shared destiny and the commencement of a new chance granted to the both of them once more.

* * *

**_- The end-_**


End file.
